


Feral Possession

by J_P_Lupine



Category: Bleach
Genre: Affection, Alternate Universe, Cuddling & Snuggling, Demons, Eventual Smut, Exophilia, Fear, LGBTQ Character, Mentions of Masturbation, Monsters, Nonbinary Character, Other, Purring, Touch-Starved, exorcist, feline behavior, magick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:01:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 43,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28180596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_P_Lupine/pseuds/J_P_Lupine
Summary: Wynter was left a home in their late uncle's will, a gorgeous two-story complete with a yard and pool. Their uncle had made a project of the house to renovate it before he passed, so parts of the home were new while others were old when Wynter moved in. It was mostly quiet and rather peaceful, a wonderful place to get work done and relax.Except Wynter's late uncle forgot to mention the beast lurking within. Wynter is smart and able to figure some things out rather quickly, but can they figure out how to rid the house of the beast or will they fall victim to it the way their uncle did?(Published Date: Dec 19, 2020)
Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Original Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	1. Please allow me to introduce myself

Claws clicking on the hardwood floor came towards the couch before the big, red heeler jumped up next to me. Changing the channel on the T.V. to Animal Planet, I was just in time for an episode of The Most Extreme. Leaning back, I popped a Pizza-Roll into my mouth and listened to the narrator list off interesting facts about the animal currently being shown.

The episode was an old re-run, but who cared? Watching a lizard sprint across water was always entertaining. Dagur, the heeler, was quietly laying next to me, seemingly watching the show as well as he was curled up on the cushion.

"You know, Dagur, I think some juice would go nicely with these." I raised a brow while looking down at the dog. A commercial had just started and I hopped up from the couch. Placing my plate onto the wooden end table, I headed towards the kitchen.

Opening up a cabinet and grabbing a glass, I nearly jumped out of my skin when the dog suddenly began to bark. My brows furrowed as I looked back towards the living room. All I saw was Dagur jumping off of the couch while barking at nothing in particular.

Shrugging, I strolled over to the refrigerator and opened it up. The light from inside illuminated the dim kitchen as I looked over the shelves. Grabbing a bottle of juice, I poured some into the glass before leaving the kitchen and heading back to the living room. Dagur was nowhere in sight, but I could still hear him barking and his claws clicking on the floor as he ran around.

"Dagur!" I called out with a firm tone while looking down at the end table. Half of the Pizza-Rolls were missing and I knew for a fact I hadn't eaten that many. Putting down the glass, I turned on my heel and placed my hands onto my hips. "Dagur!" I called again.

This time the dog came crawling into the living room, his ears back and his tail tucked. His eyes scanned the room before they were glued onto me.

"Dagur, you know you're not supposed to eat human food." I stated, receiving a whine from the dog. Looking back, I pointed at the plate. "So-...." My voice trailed off while my face slowly scrunched up with confusion. The glass was empty and more of the Pizza-Rolls were gone. "What the Hell?"

My brows furrowed in confusion as I heard the dog run off and begin to bark again. Pinching the bridge of my nose and shaking my head, I sighed.

"I must be _really_ tired." I said. "Dagur! Bedtime." I turned off the T.V. despite only having watched it briefly, and shoved what was left of my food into my mouth. Grabbing the glass and plate, I headed towards the kitchen to put the dishes away into the dishwasher.

The house I was in was fairly large, the master bedroom being on the second floor with a dark staircase leading up to it. Heading up the stairs, I called the dog's name once more. Some of the stairs softly creaked, a sign of how old the house was despite much of the home recently being renovated. I guess Uncle Jordan didn't have time to get to replacing the stairs.

"Dagur! Come on, bud, let's go to bed." And the dog was running up the stairs past me, seemingly coming from nowhere. _'Weird dog....'_ I thought before shaking my head once more and continued up the steps. Arriving at the bedroom, Dagur was already curled up at the foot of the bed and looked to have calmed down. "All right, bud, you'd tell me if someone was breaking in, right?"

The dog simply tilted his head while watching me stand in the doorway.

"Right." Nodding, I turned off the flashlight on my phone I had been using and crashed into the heavenly soft bed. Placing my phone onto the black nightstand, I rolled to the center of the bed and crawled underneath the blankets. "Night, Dagur." I sighed, feeling the dog's head rest on my leg just above my ankle. Grabbing the extra pillow, I tossed it to the end of the bed on the opposite side of the dog.

After a while of just laying there in the dark, I finally drifted off while hearing the soft breathing of the sleeping dog keeping my feet warm.

~

"Dagur...." I grumbled while shoving my face into the pillow. It was still dark out, so I knew it was still late at night. "Stop it...." My voice was slightly muffled by the pillow as I flicked my hand. Sometime while I was sleeping I had somehow rolled to the edge of the bed and one of my arms was now hanging off the side. The dog, for some odd reason, wouldn't stop licking my fingers.

"Dude, come on...." I groaned, flicking my hand again. When my hand was still again, Dagur just went back to licking my fingers. Giving an irritated and tired sigh, I rested my face to the side to where my cheek was on the pillow now. Tiredly dragging my hand up and tucking it under my chest, I was going to go right back to sleep.

But that was when I noticed something odd.

The tongue on my fingers had been rough like sandpaper, not smooth like a dog's. My brows knit together with confusion since I didn't have a cat and I couldn't recall Uncle Jordan having one either. As my eyes were adjusting to the dark, I was beginning to see the faint outlines of the furniture in the room and I cautiously reached for my phone. Did a stray cat somehow wander into the house? Was there a dog door it could have come in through?

Then another thing dawned on me as I was waking up more. Cat tongues were small, definitely smaller than Dagur's, so what the Hell was in my room?

Quickly grabbing my phone and pressing the flashlight button, the opposite wall faintly lit up.

"Dagur?" My voice was uncertain as I noticed a small figure in the doorway. Shining the phone in that direction, I saw the red heeler cowering behind the door, peeking out and seemingly staring at the base of the bed.

An icy chill ran down my spine as I momentarily froze. If it wasn't Dagur that had been licking my hand, and if the tongue was too big for a house cat, and it was scaring the shit out of Dagur, what the fuck was it? I knew mountain lions were common in this area, but could one even get into the house?

Jerking back as I rose from the bed, I faced the light from the cellphone down the side of the bed. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing there.

"What the fuck...." I mumbled, my voice barely an audible whisper as my confusion caused my mind to blank. As I looked at the empty floor where _something_ had to have been, I suddenly shot up, distinctly hearing a deep, dark, and echoing chuckle fill the silent house.

"Dagur!" I hissed for the dog while unlocking my phone. The dog darted underneath the bed and I rolled off the back, following right after while dialing 911. Scrambling up next to the dog, I held the phone firmly in my hand.

"911, what's your emergency?" A woman's voice answered.

"There's someone in my house." I whispered lowly, covering the phone to block the light from escaping and giving away where I was hiding. The heeler was pressing against my side, shivering, and being extremely quiet.

"Where are you?" Her voice was suddenly very serious. "What is the address of your house?"

"Uh, it's 512 Wicker Street." I replied.

"And you're certain someone is there?"

"Yes! Can you just hurry up and send someone?" I hissed while peeking out from under the bed towards the open door.

"Okay, I'm going to need you to stay calm. Can you do that, ma'am?" The woman asked.

"I can unless I'm found." I popped off harshly, looking around as much as I could to see if I could see anything from where I was.

"All right, then." And her voice took on a soothing tone. "You should be quiet, but I need you to remain on the phone, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, have you seen the intruder?"

"No, no I haven't. But I heard them."

"Is anyone else living with you?"

"No."

"Pets? Any pets there?"

"A dog."

"And where is the dog?"

"Right next to me- he's absolutely terrified."

"I see. And what you heard, did you hear a voice? Footsteps? Glass shattering?"

"N-" And I cut myself off, hearing heavy footsteps slowly coming up the stairs. Putting the phone face-down onto the floor, all the light it was emitting was cut off and the woman on the other end was smart enough to get that I couldn't talk now and didn't speak.

A chilling shiver ran down my spine as I laid underneath the bed. The dog cowered closer to me and the footsteps continued. They were unnecessarily loud as they came up the stairs, seeming as if it were on purpose and they were trying to scare me. Well, it was definitely fucking working.

Feeling as if I had woken up in a horror movie, I kept my breathing steady and quiet as I pulled my legs up, making sure they weren't sticking out from underneath the bed. The footsteps continued, but then I began to hear low humming.

The tune was oddly familiar, but it was like a distant memory and I wasn't quite sure where I had heard it from. The humming grew louder along with the footsteps as they drew closer to the top of the stairs.

" _~Please allow me to introduce myself,~_ " A deep voice sang softly. As the man continued, I almost immediately remembered where I had heard the old song. " _~I'm a man of wealth and taste~_ " Rolling my eyes, I thought that if this song was the last thing I heard before I died I'd without a doubt haunt the bastard that killed me.

" _~I've been around for a long, long year~_ " The voice continued as I held onto Dagur. " _~Stole many a man's soul and faith, and I was 'round when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain~_ " The dog was still shaking and gave a small whine. Gently petting the red heeler's ear, I tried to keep him calm and quiet.

" _~Made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands and sealed his fate~_ " The heavy footsteps had reached the top of the stairs now and were heading up the hall towards the bedroom. " _~Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name~_ " His voice was seemingly carefree and soft since he wasn't singing that loudly. " _~But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game~_ "

He then chuckled and I watched the bottom of the doorway, waiting to see his shoes come into view. Instead, I felt a weight on the bed as the frame creaked. Dagur was violently shaking now, being absolutely terrified of whoever was on top of the bed. I was too scared to even question how they got there without stepping into the doorway.

"So," The man's voice was now coming from above, but he was simply speaking now. "have you guessed my name?" Suddenly the silhouette of a head popped into view and two piercing, glowing, blue eyes were staring straight at me. Just as I was about to scream, however, flashing red and blue lights filled the windows.


	2. What's your name?

After the police arrived and the entire house was searched, the cops didn't find anyone other than the dog and I inside. They left after getting a statement from me and told me to call if the guy came back.

What had me confused, however, was how the intruder had gotten in, to begin with. All of the windows and doors had been locked and none of the locks or windows had been broken. Also, how could the guy have gotten away so quickly and without being seen by anyone?

Sighing, I sat on the edge of the couch while holding my head in my hands. There was no way I'd get to sleep after that. Not to mention, how was I supposed to rationalize half of what happened? The sandpaper tongue that had woken me up, but no large cat or animal was even in the room. How the man had even gotten into the house when everything was locked, or how he got into the room without me seeing him, and then seeming to just vanish afterward.

As I was trying to figure out what to do, my phone began to ring. Slowly looking up, I reached over to the end table and picked up the cellphone. My brows furrowed, seeing who it was before answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Wynter! Oh, my God! Are you okay?!" Gary's voice was rushed with concern. "I'm sorry, I just saw your text."

"I'm....I'm fine, don't worry. Whoever it was didn't even touch me." I replied, hearing the man on the other end sigh with relief.

"Oh, thank fuck!" Gary then asked another question. "And Dagur? Is he okay?"

"Oh, he's fine all right. A fine guard dog, too." I said with slight sarcasm. "The poor guy was absolutely terrified."

"Dagur? Really?" And there was a quiet pause. "He's not usually like that, he's usually barking non-stop when someone he doesn't know comes into the house."

"....Yeah, I know. Which is what makes his behavior so odd." I glanced over at the red heeler curled up on the other side of the couch.

"When the guy broke in, did you even hear anything?"

"No, I was asleep. Don't even know how he got in or out, everything was locked and closed." Leaning back onto the couch, I pulled up my legs and sat criss-cross.

"Seriously? Nothing?"

"Well, after I woke up I heard the dude come stomping straight up the stairs while singing 'Sympathy for the Devil' like a damn lunatic."

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. That song is pretty distinct, you know?" I furrowed my eyebrows while fiddling with the drawstring dangling from my pajama bottoms. "Nothing was stolen as far as I can tell, either. It's honestly.... I don't know, it's all just so weird.

"Did the cops leave anyone to watch the house? To make sure the guy doesn't come back?" Gary asked.

"No. They barely even searched the yard."

"Do you want me to come over?"

"....If it's not too much of a bother. I don't want you to go out of your way."

"It's not, don't worry. Let me pull my shoes on and I'll head that way."

"Thanks, Gary."

"It's no biggie. Just have the porch light on so I can see the driveway."

"Will do." I felt a small smile ease onto my face. Gary and I had been friends practically since we were in diapers. He'd always been there for me when times were tough and vice versa, especially when he'd gone through a bad break-up freshman year of college.

Petting Dagur, I sighed and dropped my phone onto the cushion on the other side of me. I'd barely moved into this place and was already somewhat regretting it. Uncle Jordan had left it to me in his will, which was how I got the house, and he had spent what time he had left renovating the home for 'fun' and 'something to do'. I greatly appreciated it all, but if break-ins were going to be normal, I didn't want it.

I jolted when I heard a loud clatter. Dagur's head shot up as his ears perked to listen.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." I muttered, listening for any other noise. I glanced over my shoulder to the front door, debating on just bolting or staying where I was since Gary was already on his way. The silence drug out longer as I sat there.

Standing, I went to go check what the noise was since it sounded like something had fallen over. The police had combed over the place and had found nothing, so surely something must have just fallen victim to gravity.

....Right?

Walking down the hall, it had sounded like the noise came from the office. Passing the staircase, I turned my phone's flashlight on to light the way. Nearing the dark door at the end of the hall, I turned the knob and entered the room.

There were some books on the floor by the desk. Sighing with relief, I went to go pick them up and put them back onto the desk. Setting down my phone with the flashlight facing the ceiling, I crouched and gathered the books into a neat pile. I ignored the old paintings staring at me with their soulless eyes.

The paintings were less soulless in the daylight.

Yelping as my head whipped around when the door slammed shut, my eyes went wide as I saw a silhouette of something crouched down at the bottom of the door. Having what looked like a clawed hand on the back of the door, two glowing orbs appeared like its eyes had opened.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from those blue spots looking right back at me. The figure shifted, standing on two feet as I felt an icy chill run down my spine. It looked vaguely human, but there were too many shapes that were just....wrong. The legs looked too animalistic for a human.

Teeth began to appear, gleaming in the light as fangs formed into a sinister grin. The figure was huge, standing over six feet as the outline of broad shoulders and muscled limbs let me know whoever, or whatever, this thing was could break me in half.

"Don't you look delicious?" The same voice as the man from the break-in questioned just before a tongue ran over the top row of teeth. Gulping, I was frozen as he took a step forward, his clawed hand scraping off the door. I spotted a long, thin tail swaying behind him as he took another step. "What's your name, little rabbit?" His voice was low and close to a dangerous purr.

My back hit the desk as the figure silently stepped closer. He was halfway across the room now as I was shaking. My eyes darted to the door for a second, wondering if I could make it if I ran. When I looked back, the figure was gone.

Frantically looking around, I couldn't find the thing and bolted for the door. Swinging the door open, I froze as a clawed hand curled around the door frame. I could feel icy breath on my cheek and slowly turned. It grinned before nipping at my nose, and I felt like I was about to piss myself out of fear.

I hadn't actually felt the teeth, just an icy chill, and its face turned away as their grin fell. Gary was knocking at the door. The figure vanished and I nearly collapsed where I was while clutching my shirt over my heart.


	3. Day 2

Uncle Jordan left me a haunted house. It was either that, or I was going crazy. My hands cupped the warm mug of coffee as Gary was pouring his own. I wanted to ask him if he'd seen anything, heard anything, during the night. I wanted to know if I was the only one this thing taunted or if I really wasn't seeing things and it went for Gary as well.

Looking at the back of the man's head, I then began to wonder why _now_. Why not when I was moving in? When I was unpacking? Why wait until I was already settled to make an appearance?

"Gary?"

"Yeah?" He turned, coming over to the table to sit down with his drink next to me.

"Did you....happen to see something, I don't know, strange last night?"

"No. But you might want to take Dagur to the vet." He calmly said while glancing at the dog. "I think the poor guy got so traumatized last night."

"Why would you say that?" My brows furrowed as my thumb brushed over the mug's handle.

"He peed all over the foot of my bed. Woke up to it this morning when my foot landed in it." His expression was sympathetic towards the dog. "Oh, don't worry though, I already put everything in the wash."

I was dumbfounded now, especially since Dagur had been with me the entire night. I knew he was for certain because I hadn't slept at all. My night, once getting back to bed, was spent holding Dagur and occupying myself on my phone. And, if what Gary said was true, at least to a degree, I knew I wasn't going crazy.

But that also meant whatever was in the house pissed on Gary.

Should I laugh or be more concerned? Ghosts couldn't pee, so that meant that thing was something else. Well, at least I didn't think ghosts peed.

My brows knit together as I was thinking. I knew that thing seemed displeased when Gary showed up, but was it really childish enough to piss on the man while he slept? ....Apparently so.

"Yeah, I'll take him just to be sure." I said, not mentioning to Gary how Dagur hadn't left my side all night. I wasn't even sure how to explain to Gary the possibility that some sadistic being had just....peed on him.

"Hey, how are _you_ feeling?"

"Exhausted." I sighed, rubbing my forehead while dropping my gaze to my mug. "I really am thankful for you coming over, though."

"Oh, don't sweat it, Wynter. What happened last night....that shit is scary."

"No kidding."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Eventually. Gonna look into an actual security system, though."

"That'd be good."

~

It was later in the day now, so I set to making some food for myself. Opening the backdoor to let the dog out, I went to boil some water to make macaroni and cheese. When Dagur came back into the house, I simply closed the door and finished cooking my meal. Serving it up into a bowl, I rinsed out the pan in the sink and went to sit down.

At the table, I scooped up some of the cheesy pasta and brought it to my mouth, feeling comforted by the food. Sighing, I lazily looked to the heeler chasing his own tail until he burnt off to the next room. Hearing a squeaky toy, I assumed he was playing around. Okay, that had to be a good sign.

Turning back to my bowl, I was about to take another bite just before a black figure materialized on the table. Completely freezing as my jaw hung slightly ajar. Even with as much light that was in the room, I could still see nothing more than a black figure like a solid shadow. However, I now saw more detail and there were horns perched on his forehead as he laid on the table, his arms crossed right in front of my bowl.

"Don't mind if I do." He stated before wrapping his tongue around my fork and taking my food. Pulling the fork from his mouth after taking it from me, he began to dig into my macaroni. "Not bad for this cheap-ass shit." He commented, and I had yet to move a muscle. _'Calm! Act calm! Holy fuck, just act calm!'_ I mentally screamed. This was definitely not a ghost, and he seemed to enjoy my reactions to him.

Gulping, I closed my mouth before rising to my feet. Just grabbing some lunch meat from the fridge, no way was I risking demon cooties by taking my food back. Not to mention that maybe he'd lose interest and move on when I didn't react to him.

"No fun, where's the screaming from last night?" He questioned, his voice seeming to not really care as he continued to eat my macaroni. Simply ignoring him, I leaned on the counter, facing away from him while biting into the thin slices of turkey

If his aim was to scare me, I couldn't let him see he'd succeeded.

"Oi," Clawed hands were placed on the counter on either side of me, his nails clicking onto the marble as I felt his breath hitting the top of my head. "are you ignoring me?" Now he seemed irritated with how low his voice was. "How about this, little rabbit, you tell me your name and I'll give your food back?" His voice then took on a sickly sweet tone as his breath continued hitting my head.

Not saying a word, I tried pretending he wasn't there while chewing on the turkey in my mouth. From what I'd noticed, he couldn't actually touch me. Also, he seemed rather determined to know my name. From what little I knew about demonic beings- which was limited- having my name might give him some sort of power. Maybe having my name was what he needed to actually be able to hurt me.

"Come on, little rabbit, why don't you want to talk to me? Don't worry, I don't wanna kill you, I just wanna play." His voice was close to a purr now, and I watched as one of his hands raised, touching my arm as his claws lightly raked my skin. All I felt was ice and nothing more, proving my guess that he couldn't actually touch me. It was not much unlike a ghostly touch, cold, but not really there.

Either way, it caused every hair on the back of my neck to rise on end.

"I can smell your fear, you know." He stated, and it felt like he sniffed at my hair. "You can't hide it, it's so strong, leaking from you like that fucking mutt in the other room." Swallowing, I balled my empty hand into a fist on the counter while staring straight ahead. "Are you scared I'll eat you, little rabbit?" He questioned, and after a short pause, his voice was right next to my ear. "Good." He whispered before completely vanishing.

Finally being able to breathe again, I glared in the direction the sound of the squeaky toy was coming from. _'Dagur, you were supposed to be my alarm!'_


	4. Confrontation

I didn't get much sleep that night either, the thing in the house wouldn't stop strutting about the place while singing the same lines from _'Sympathy for the Devil'_ like before. It was less terrifying now that I knew he couldn't physically hurt me, but he'd still pop up out of nowhere and scare the shit out of me. He'd laugh every time I yelped in surprise, finding it amusing.

His antics went on for days, mainly occurring during the night and making it difficult to sleep. Napping on the couch during the day to catch up on some missed sleep, Dagur had been curled up next to me and I slept peacefully.

Even so, I became suspicious when I woke up and nothing had yet to happen. For once in the past week, nothing was knocked over or torn up. Nothing was out of place and there was no singing or humming.

Did he finally tire of messing with me?

Rising to my feet, I grabbed my phone and opened up the back door. Checking the area, I then called for Dagur and he ran right past me to go outside. Following him, I checked the messages on my phone. There were a few from Gary, and a couple from my boss telling me what needed to be changed on my most recent project. I had a week to fix it, but what he wanted could be done in two nights.

Sighing as I answered the texts from Gary, I had to explain that I hadn't answered because of my nap. Now that those messages were taken care of, I glanced up to see Dagur peeing on the fence.

"Lovely." I muttered before plopping down at the edge of the pool. Crossing my legs, I just sat there, looking into the water while feeling the late day sun on my skin. Throwing my hands up, I laid back on the rocky tiles and watched as a cloud slowly floated past.

I was exhausted and only wanted peace, but this demon seemed hellbent on bugging me. The fear was morphing more into irritation as the days passed, and I was beginning to hate that damn song he always sang. I heard tapping on glass and looked up to the back door.

The demon was standing there, watching me and reminding me of a cat. He was still just a solid shadow, but those feline eyes and the way his tail twitched was too reminiscent of a cat. I flipped him off and he grinned. Those sharp teeth glinted in the fading sunlight.

Once I went back into the house, I knew he would start bothering me. The only reason he wasn't now, I could only assume had to do with the sun still being out. Indirect sunlight didn't seem to bother him, but I guess direct would. As I lowered my hand, something began to dawn on me.

He kept asking for my name, kept singing a song about guessing the identity of the singer. Maybe it was because I just woke from my nap, or maybe I was finally putting the pieces together, but this asshole was playing a Rumplestiltskin kind of game. The winner would be whoever got the other's name first.

Of course, this was simply speculation, but what other reasoning would there be? He clearly had some sort of goal and if he wasn't lying it at least wasn't to eat me. But what was it?

And as I was thinking, something else began to prick at my mind. ....What if this demon had something to do with Uncle Jordan dying? Sitting up I placed my hands into my lap. What if Uncle Jordan had done something that brought this demon here?

Maybe he was digging and found something, cleaning and happened upon something. I mean, Uncle Jordan would have been all over the property while renovating and could have stumbled onto something from previous owners. That, or maybe it came from one of the antiques Uncle Jordan just happened to bring home.

Wherever he came from, he was definitely here before I was. I mean, I hadn't done anything but moved in. Though, Uncle Jordan was old....he simply could have just passed naturally. But something nagged at me that the demon did have a part in it.

~

He was breathing down on my head as I was trying to get work done. Sat at the desk in the office, I was trying to focus on typing rather than the demon leaning on the chair. Unlike me, he could actually touch objects.

And he was taking advantage of that by shaking the chair at random intervals.

"Will you fucking stop?!" I slammed my hands onto the desk. He chuckled and hopped up onto the desk, crouching beside my laptop with his elbows on his knees.

"Tell me your name then, little rabbit." His tail curled behind the laptop and I noticed his feet were more like paws. Was it odd to find them....adorable?

"How about you tell me yours?" I popped off and his blue eyes narrowed. "Give me that look all you want, you're not even half as scary as you were before. I know you can't even touch me." His leg shot out, kicking the back of the chair just over my shoulder. The chair spun and teetered before falling back. Grunting when I landing on the floor, the demon proved his point without saying a word.

I saw the claw marks in the chair, and he was still crouched on the desk while looking down at me.

"Don't get cocky just because I can't touch you. I can still touch everything else, human. And I do mean _everything_." He reached down, grabbing the front of my shirt before yanking me up to my feet. "Just because I haven't actually hurt you yet doesn't mean I can't, little rabbit. You're just more amusing when not broken."

I tried to pull his hand off of me, but my hand went right through his wrist. That sadistic grin played onto his lips as he chuckled.

"Oh, that face is good. That's right, little rabbit. I can't touch you, and you can't touch me. But I can sure as shit still do this." He stood on the desk, lifting me up off the ground like I weighed nothing. "So long as you wear clothes, I could just as easily throw your ass around. That, or throw other things at you." He said while knocking the lamp off of the desk with his foot. The bulb shattered on the ground, and I was thankful it wasn't on.

"What do you even get out of this?" I asked lowly while looking at him. His eyes narrowed at me, those slit pupils focused right on my face. "Seriously, what keeps you here? Day in and day out you bug me. Why don't you just leave?" I tilted my head as his eyes narrowed more. "You can't, can you? You're stuck here, aren't you? Maybe if you tell me why, I can help you to leave. Because, trust me, I don't want you here either."

He dropped me and his tail swayed as he placed his hands onto his hips.

"I want your soul, little rabbit. Would you so readily give it to me?" There was a silent pause before he burst into laughter. "You should see your face! The fuck would I do with your stupid soul?! You're right though, human. I am stuck here. The old fucker from before bound me here." He hopped down from the desk and stepped towards me. I backed away until I hit a bookshelf and he was peering down at me. "But I can't break the seals myself."

"Seals?"

"There's two. One on my body, one on my power. You're related to that old fucker, aren't you? You have to break them." He raised his hand, tilting his head while watching me as he brushed his knuckles over my cheek. It felt like cold air was touching me. "Once you've broken them, I'll be gone."

"You're not telling me everything."

"You're right, I'm not. You're perceptive, little rabbit, and it's a fucking pain in my ass." He lowly growled.

"What are you leaving out?"

"Is it really any of your concern?"

"It is if you want my help. From what I gather, having your body and power sealed is safer than letting you free." His hand slammed onto the shelf by my head, making me flinch. "You want my name, right? Why? It's unimportant if the seals are what you're after, unless you need it for something."

"Knowing your name gives me the power to touch you." He sounded honest, so if he wasn't lying my guess from before was right. "If I can touch you, I can _make_ you break the seals."

"Then what's with the whole _'Sympathy for the Devil'_ shit?"

"Just having a little fun." He smirked.

"Then my uncle. How the Hell could he 'bind' you if he was just a retired teacher?"

"He wasn't 'just a retired teacher'. The fucker was an exorcist. Between him being old as shit and me being so powerful, he couldn't send me back to Hell."

"So he sealed you in the house." I stated, and now I was a little pissed. If Uncle Jordan had sealed the demon in the house, why in the world would he leave it to me in the will? "....He knew I was smart enough to figure it out." I muttered as my eyes widened a fraction.

"And you're also smart enough to figure out you either release me, or I'll make your life miserable, little rabbit. I just might even go after those close to you....again." He smirked. "How'd your little friend like his wake-up call?"

"You pissed on his bed, not exactly threatening. And he thought it was the dog."

"Would you prefer I did to him what I did to your uncle?" My lip twitched into a snarl.

"What the fuck did you do to my uncle?" My voice was dangerous and it took me a second to realize I was actually holding something. My attention briefly went to my hand wrapped in shadow. It felt like soft fur between my fingers. I had assumed it was a part of him, but the fact that I could touch it said otherwise.

A shirt. The fur was a shirt collar.

"I did to him what I'm doing to you. Old man couldn't take it for long." The demon stated, not bothered by the fact that I'd figured out I could touch his clothes as he could mine. If this fur was a shirt collar, where did the clothes end and he begin? It all looked like the same shadow without seams.

Tightening my grip on the fur, I shoved the demon back now that I had a hold on something. He only went back a step since he hadn't expected it, then dug his claws into the floor before pushing me back against the bookshelf. His hand was on my chest, using my shirt as a barrier since it wouldn't go through me like his hand would.

"Don't try to get brave, little rabbit. Just break the seals."

"I'm not that stupid."

"Then I guess I'll just have to break you." I quickly brought my knee up, but he grabbed my knee since I was wearing pajama pants. "You catch on quick, you little shit. I didn't think you'd even figure to go for such a low blow."

"Well, it was worth a shot." I swallowed as fear trickled in. I was hoping, with how he wore clothes and looked and sounded masculine, I could knee him in the crotch and run when he went down.

"You've only given me another idea on how to torment you." His tone dropped as he stepped closer, still holding me against the shelf with a hand on my chest. "Don't get me wrong, your fear smells delicious, but why don't we see how else you can smell, little rabbit?" The hand on my knee moved upward, and I could feel the chill of his hand through the fabric.

The demon leaned down, his cold breath hitting my cheek and neck as my hair stood on end. My heart was pounding, uncertain as to what he was trying to do until he grabbed my ass. He slid a knee between mine, rubbing his thigh against my crotch. I took in a sharp breath and tried to push him off, but the demon wouldn't budge.

"My, my, little rabbit. Your scent changed so quickly." It sounded like he was purring now. His hand on my chest lowered as he pressed the rest of his body against me. I could feel defined muscle along his torso, and with how close he was I was faintly smelling something. Was it him?

"Get off." I managed to keep my voice even, but it came out barely louder than a whisper.

"Why? You're clearly pent up if just _this_ is turning you on." His voice was close to my ear as both of his large hands were on my ass now. "Why not enjoy it, little rabbit? I can smell how badly you want to. Might I add, you really do smell fucking delicious either way."

"You're a damn demon!" I hissed only to tense when he rubbed his thigh against me again.

"Doesn't seem like that bothers you too much." He sounded amused before he pulled his head back and turned to the desk. My phone was ringing, the screen facing up and allowing him to see who was calling. "Oh, it's that punk-bitch." The demon pounced onto the desk, crouching like before as he snatched up the phone.

His tail was swaying as he answered the call, and my heart sank as Gary's voice came through loud and clear.

"Hey, Wynter, I was wondering if you were up to me crashing by with some burgers. I got some work I'd like your advice on." The animalistic ears on the demon perked up before the shadow covering him began to melt away. Pure darkness gave way to bright blue as his hair was so long down his back. The fur on the back of his ears was green, however, and his tail matched his hair. His clothes, from what I could see from behind, were black and dark green. His skin was a bit tan, though what I could assume to be markings spiraled up his arms and there were stripes over his hips that were also black and green.

" _~Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name~_ " The demon lowly sang while turning his head to look at me with an evil grin. His eyes were pools of black with his irises a bright blue. There were green markings under his eyes, and his horns were black.

"Wynter? Wynter?!" Gary sounded frantic, hearing the demon over the phone. If I wasn't so terrified by the fact the demon now had my name, I would have been floored by how attractive he was.

"Hello, Wynter." He purred, sending a shiver up my spine before he hung up on Gary.


	5. Run Rabbit, Run, Run, Run

He turned, sitting on the desk in a swift motion while looking at me with furrowed brows and amusement in his eyes. From how much of his chest and stomach was bare, I could see a giant scar going from his collarbone down to his hip. It looked like an old wound, so I didn't believe it was from my uncle sealing him.

"I hope you know Gary's going to come here now."

"Let him. I don't give a shit." The demon truly looked like he didn't care. "I've got your name now, little rabbit. Run as much as you like, but you can't escape me."

"You-"

"Kneel, Wynter." His voice was steady as he simply raised his hand, and it felt like a heavy weight crashed onto my shoulders. My knees hit the floor as my eyes went wide. The demon only chuckled as I looked up at him. "Oh, how fragile you humans are. My, my, if looks could kill." He held his chin while smirking. "Don't fret too much, little rabbit. Without my full power, I can't make you do much. Though, what I can make you do now is enough."

He stood before grabbing the front of my shirt to pull me to my feet. The demon began to walk away, dragging me behind him as he left the office. He went down the hall, then swung open the closet where the cleaning supplies were kept.

"What are you-"

"Shut up." He knocked the vacuum, broom, and mop all to the floor, kicking the bucket to the side before balancing on his right leg. Raising his left paw to near chest height, he kicked right through the wall. The bricks behind the drywall loudly clattered down a staircase that I didn't even know was there.

Had Uncle Jordan sealed it off? The demon cleared the way more before crawling through and yanking me after him. It was dark as we went down, and I couldn't see a damn thing. Misstepping, I stumbled down the stairs and face-planted into the demon's back.

"Fucking humans." He grumbled before picking me up and tossing me over his shoulder. "Having trouble, little rabbit?" His tone was condescending while he continued down the stairs.

"Fuck you."

"I'll throw you down these stairs. How'd you like that?" He retorted, and I noticed I couldn't even hear him walking down the steps that'd made so much noise when I had. "Ready to break the first seal? Too bad, you're going to anyway." He didn't even let me answer before dropping me onto the cold floor.

I still couldn't see anything, but the floor felt dirty beneath my hands and feet, and the air smelled like an old shed and dust. My eyes were trying to see in the dark, but all I could make out was the demon's glowing eyes. I heard a sound similar to fingers snapping just before candles lit up the room.

My breath caught in my throat, seeing what was on the opposite wall. I couldn't tell if it was blood or paint marking the bricks in strange symbols, but it glittered in the candlelight like it was still fresh. My gaze drifted to the demon, seeing the pissed off expression on his face before I looked back to the body seemingly crucified against the wall. It looked exactly like the demon.

Was him saying his body was sealed actually literal? If so, then how the fuck was he standing right next to me?

It looked like railroad spikes were driven into the demon's palms and feet to hold him to the wall, and a collar of barbed wire pinned his neck to the brick. Even his tail was nailed down by the dark silver spikes. The sight of it all was brutal, and I couldn't even imagine how it'd happened.

Uncle Jordan would never do something like this....would he?

"You'll need to start from my left paw and work clockwise. Fuck it up and you'll have to start over." His voice was low as his hands balled into fists at his sides. Those blue eyes shot to me when I didn't move. "I'm a projection, you idiot. _That's_ my real body. Now get up and get me down." He yanked me to my feet before pushing me towards the wall.

Hesitantly getting closer, I began to hear soft breathing from the body.

"Why....Why can't you do this yourself if you're jerking me around all over the place?"

"The spikes are fucking blessed. I can't touch them at all. If you won't do it, I'll just compel you-"

"I'll do it." Standing in front of the demon, I also saw a symbol painted over his heart that matched the larger one on the wall. I honestly didn't want to release him, but how it felt to be forced to kneel earlier made me feel sick. Swallowing, I reached down to the spike in his left paw.

My hands flinched back when I felt the heat of the metal, and a growl came from behind me. I was shaking again, wrapping my fingers around the spike before pulling. It wouldn't budge at first, making me have to put a foot onto the wall for leverage. I stumbled back with the spike in my hands, nearly falling as the demon's leg now fell limply without the nail.

The hole in his paw slowly began to close. I watched in fascinated horror as flesh stitched together. If he healed like that, what in the world was the scar from?

Dropping the spike, I followed instructions and went to his tail. I noticed that with each nail taken out, the symbols on the wall began to fade. Certainly breaking such a seal wasn't this easy? The demon had mentioned how I must be related to Uncle Jordan, was that why? I was finding it difficult to rationalize such a thing in the first place.

I saw the barbed wire around his neck was just looped around a hook and carefully lifted it up. The demon's body now limply hung from the final hand impaled against the brick. This nail seemed to be the most stubborn with how much I had to work it to get it out.

"Lay me out and take the wire off." He commanded, and I drug the demon out onto the dirty floor. He was heavy, making my muscles burn to move him. When the body was laying on his back, I knelt by his shoulder to undo the wire. I was wary of the spikes but managed to get it off. "Now, listen very closely." The demon grabbed my jaw to make me look at him. "When _I_ vanish, bleed into my mouth."

"What?!"

"Do it, Wynter." I could already feel my body no longer being under my control as the demon faded from sight. I tried to fight it as my hand raised and I brought the barbed wire against my palm. I cried out with pain as I began to bleed, but with the pain, the compulsion faded.

My brows furrowed as I looked at my bleeding palm.

Pain.

Pain could break his hold on me. I'd be sure as Hell to remember that.

"I hope you fucking choke." I snarled, slamming my hand down onto the demon's mouth. It was quiet for a moment, making me wonder if what the demon was intending to happen was even happening.

Then he shot up while taking in a deep breath.

"Oh, fuck." He groaned, stretching out as his bones popped. He got to his feet while grunting, stretching out his legs without a care in the world. As if feeling my glare, he turned to me and smirked. "You did such a good job, little rabbit." He crouched in front of me, grabbing my wrist with a hand that was now warm instead of icy cold.

He brought my bleeding palm towards his face before sticking out his tongue to lick the wound. I hissed and flinched from the pain, but I also noticed how his tongue was soft instead of sandpapery. My brows furrowed now- If he couldn't actually touch me, and his tongue was actually soft, what the Hell had been licking my hand the first night?

"Your tongue's soft?" I muttered with confusion. His ears twitched, and his gaze drifted to me.

"It is. What, curious to how it would feel?"

"No. Just....I thought it was like a cat's." Realization dawned on his face before he burst into laughter.

"I already told you I was just having some fun. I wasn't actually licking your hand then, little rabbit, it was wet sandpaper."

"Then with Gary-"

"No, I actually pissed on him. Speaking of piss-boy, shouldn't he be getting here by now?"

"Oh, shit!" I hissed, jerking my hand from his hold while bolting to the stairs.

"Wynter...." My body froze against my will. Looking at the demon, he was licking the blood from his lips with those feline eyes locked onto me. "Your uncle left you the house because of your power. Shit, it's making my skin fucking buzz." He grinned with half-opened eyes as his claws flexed. The compulsion faded when there was no command, so I ran up the stairs as the demon remained where he was.

What did he mean by power? I didn't have any 'power' other than sleeping an entire day away.

Pounding came from the front door as I was scrambling into the hallway.

"Wynter?! Wynter, open up!" Gary sounded frantic and close to busting the door down. "Wynter, come on!"

"Sorry!" I quickly apologized after opening the door.

"Where is he?" Gary pushed his way into the house, looking around angrily.

"I'm sorry, who?"

"You know who, I heard him. He came back, didn't he? He had your fucking phone, Wynter."

"Gary, calm down. _Who_ are you talking about? I've been in my office all night."

"The guy who broke in! You said he was singing _'Sympathy for the Devil'_ , whoever answered your phone was singing it."

"Oh, I must have accidentally answered the call when my phone was in my pocket. I was playing the song. You know, trying to maybe figure out why _that_ song."

"Damn it, Wynter." Gary sighed with relief before turning to me with a tight hug. "That scared the Hell out of me."

"My bad." I awkwardly chuckled, thankful he bought the lie.

"Why are you so dirty?"

"I fell when taking Dagur out. I was just about to get cleaned up before you came banging on the door."

"Oh. Sorry." He pulled back while softly laughing. "You swear you're okay, right?"

"Fine. Might be a little bruised from the fall, though."

"....Do you mind if I stay for dinner? I just....wanna be sure you're okay."

"Yeah, that's fine." I nodded. "You can make dinner while I shower." Closing the door, I wondered why it was so easy to lie to Gary. 'Because he'd think you're crazy.' I thought while shaking my head.

"Sounds good." He seemed much calmer now and took his shoes off at the door. "I was planning on bringing burgers, but when I heard that song, I kinda just rushed over here as fast as possible."

"Again, sorry about that. I didn't even know you had called." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.

"Well, can't really blame you if it was just an accident. Now, go shower, I think I see a cobweb in your hair."

"Oh, gross." I cringed while turning to head to the bathroom. I actually locked the door behind me, hoping to keep the demon out. From the last time Gary was here, it seemed the demon wouldn't bother him....if he was conscious, at least.

Dropping my clothes into the hamper, I got into the shower and let the hot water wash away the dirt and dust on me. Glancing at my hand, I saw that it was healed. Heavily sighing, I couldn't even imagine how deep the shit was that I'd gotten into. Especially since one of the seals was broken now.

"You were supposed to send piss-boy away, not keep him for dinner." I jolted from the voice, then rolled my eyes.

"Can I get some privacy?"

"I'm not looking through the curtain, there's your privacy."

"Smartass." I muttered under my breath while running my fingers through my hair.

"What I said earlier- I take it back."

"You've said a lot."

"Your soul. I want it." I froze as my eyes shot open. "I didn't think you'd taste like you smelled with how weak you seemed. My guess is you're just untrained. I can't compel you to give me your soul, so you're going to have to actually fucking give it to me." Relief flooded my veins as my shoulders relaxed.

"No."

"Come on, little rabbit. Either you give it to me, or I rip it from your corpse."

"You can't do that if you want the second seal broken." I stated and he clicked his tongue at me.

"You really are a pain in my ass."

"Yeah, well, you need me, I don't need you."

"Didn't seem like you didn't need me when you were rubbing up on my thigh like you were in fucking heat." His voice held a tone of amusement as my cheeks burned.

"I did _not_ do that!"

"Oh, but you did. Your scent was even screaming for me to fuck you. Oh! How about a deal, little rabbit. I'll fuck you in exchange for your soul, how's that sound?"

"Go fuck yourself."

"Well, you're no fuckin' fun."

"No sex is good enough to give up my soul."

"Then you'll be surprised by how many souls I've taken in exchange for sex."

"I don't want to know." Grabbing my shampoo, I poured some into my palm. "How about this, demon. You give me what I want, I'll give you my soul and help you get your power back."

"Deal. What do you want?"

"Wow, I was right. You are really impulsive." Lathering up my short hair, the demon went quiet.

"....Fuck." It seemed to dawn on him now that since I hadn't specified before he'd agreed, whatever I wanted he had to comply with.

"I want you bound to this property so long as I breathe, and you can't kill me, either." Picking up my body wash, I then grabbed my sponge. "I want you to never compel me again. And I want you to never piss on Gary again." Pausing, I thought it over. "I also want you to not have any part in my death, so you can't try to indirectly kill me, either."

"You fucking- How many years you got left, you little shit?" The demon growled.

"I'm still in my 20's, bud. I've got a while. Plenty of time to figure out what to do with you."

"Bitch."

"Asshole."

"Little shit."

"Overgrown piss-ant."

"Your mother should have swallowed you."

"And you should have gone back to Hell, fucker."

"I'm going to enjoy tearing your soul out slowly."

"I won't feel it, I'll be dead."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, little rabbit. You'll fucking feel _everything_ I do to your soul." There was an angry edge to his tone.

"Then I've got a while until I have to worry about that." I said, but I was actually worrying about it now. Had I just damned my soul? I thought I was playing this smart, but if what he just said was true.... Well, I hadn't taken that chance into account.

I also thought it was better to bind him here so long as I breathed to make sure no one that lived here after me would suffer the same fate of having to deal with this sadistic, and annoying as Hell, demon. Though, as soon as I got the chance, I would need to start researching how to do what my uncle was unable to. If the demon said I indeed had power, then maybe....just maybe....I could learn to send this demon to Hell.

Turning off the water, I reached for my towel. Wrapping it tightly around myself, I opened the shower curtain and stepped out. The demon was sitting on the counter, his tail curling with agitation as I walked right past him.

"Is the little rabbit modest? Why cover your chest when you don't have any tits?"

"Because I don't want your perverted eyes seeing any part of me." Unlocking the door, I walked into my room to dig out some clothes.

"Pretty sure I already know what a lot of you looks like after touching it." He followed me out of the bathroom and leaned onto the doorframe as he crossed his arms.

"And you only prove my point about you being perverted." Sliding my boxers on under the towel, I pulled my shirt on over it before pulling the towel down. Sliding my pajama pants on, I then started drying my hair with the towel.

"....I could end you so easily, little rabbit." The demon's voice was low by my ear as his claws scraped over my throat. I tried to steady my heart since it began to race.

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because you're just like a fucking rabbit. Small, fragile," His hand wrapped around my neck, holding it but not choking me. It was more of a warning. "so frightened, so ready to run. Every time you bite back, I'm so tempted to just snap your little neck like a twig. Though....where would be the fun in that?" His palm was hot against my skin and it honestly felt more frightening than when his hands were icy cold. "See? There goes your heart beating so quickly."

I swallowed, finding myself unable to move. The demon pulled the towel from my head with his other hand.

"Run along now, little rabbit. Piss-boy is making you dinner." His hand slid off of my throat but I hesitated to move. I truly felt like I was being watched by a predator and the second, the very second, I moved, the beast would pounce. Taking a slow breath, I steeled myself and went for my bedroom door. The demon didn't pounce, so I went into the hall and down to the kitchen.


	6. You Terrible Thing

Working on my laptop, I was trying to catch up on the work the demon had interrupted. Dagur was curled up underneath the desk, sleeping soundly as it was quiet....for now. The project I was currently working on was editing and giving notes on a client's book before they published it. I had most of the book already gone through, so only a few chapters were left to go over. However, it was looking like the ending was going strong.

The beginning of the book had started out rather weak, so I'd left a note to try for a better hook. Though, as the chapters progressed, the work was taking better form.

I was also writing my own book in my free time, but I was currently a bit stuck, so it was on hold.

By the time I reached the end of the book and submitted the notes, the sun was setting outside and I groaned while knowing who would be showing up. Rubbing my forehead, I only wanted to eat dinner and go to sleep in peace. And, as if on cue when I was thinking about it, the office door burst open.

"Time to get my power back, you little shit!" The demon was grinning. "We got until midnight, or I gotta wait until the next fucking full moon."

"What the Hell are you talking about?"

"You really don't know shit, do you?"

"I didn't even know demons were real until you came along. Didn't know my uncle was an exorcist, either."

"When I told you to go clockwise when releasing my body, did you think I said it out of preference?" He was looking at me like I was stupid. "To break seals, certain conditions must be met. The stronger the seal, the more conditions. That, or you just bust through the fucking thing with brute force."

"Which you can't since your power is sealed, and I can't because I don't know what the Hell I'm doing."

"Right." He strolled over and placed his hands onto the desk while looking at me. "You're gonna need a knife, and your mutt."

"No, the fuck I'm not." I snarled, slamming my hands onto the desk while standing.

"Kidding, kidding. Relax." Glaring at the demon, he only smirked at me in return. "However, _you_ will have to bleed again."

"What is it this time? Another secret room in my house that I don't know about? Do I gotta do the stupid hokey-pokey while gutting a chicken?"

"Okay, you fucking smartass." His expression went flat before his eyes narrowed. "It's a book in this room."

"You're kidding."

"No. Old fucker sealed my power in a book. You need to destroy it to release my power."

"Okay, but you said I had to bleed again."

"You need to bleed on the book to weaken the seal. Shit, do I have to explain everything to you?"

"Some of it, yeah."

"Just get the damn book."

"How am I even supposed to know which one it is?" He looked to be thinking, then grabbed my wrist to drag me around the desk. He pulled me over to the bookshelf tucked between two windows. "There are times the hair on the back of your neck stands on end when I'm around, right?" He questioned and my brows furrowed. "Don't look at me like that and answer the fucking question."

"Yeah."

"That was happening before I even had my physical body, meaning you were sensing my projection."

"Why can't you just tell me which book it is?"

"Because I want to see if you can actually do this." Sighing through my nose, I let him raise my hand toward the shelf. "I know what I tasted, little rabbit. You've got something dormant, and I want it active."

"Wouldn't that make it easier for me to get rid of you?"

"Even if you send me to Hell, your soul is still mine."

"And if I kill you?" He burst into laughter.

"Like you ever fucking could. Now, shut up and concentrate." His ear twitched as his gaze drifted to the books. "Don't try to look for something different, it's meant to blend in."

"Wait....are there other demon powers sealed in here, too?"

"A few."

"What?!"

"Don't give a shit about them, focus on finding mine." He pushed my hand towards the books. Slowly sliding my fingers over the spines, I wasn't sure what I was expecting to happen.

"Wanna tell me why Dagur isn't barking?"

"He's sleeping, dumbass."

"Yeah, but you usually wake him up, dipshit."

"I'm not a threat right now."

"Wha- Oh, shit!" I hissed, jerking my hand back from the shelf. A devilish grin played onto the demon's lips as he looked at me.

"You felt it, didn't you, little rabbit?" He pushed my hand back towards the shelf. "Get the damn book. If you don't, you'll be breaking our deal." His other hand slid over my shoulder to press his claws to my neck. "You wouldn't want to break our deal. I mean, unless you want me to maul you for every time you pissed me off."

I grabbed the dark brown book from the shelf. It was thick and looked to be a seasonal foraging manual. However, holding the book felt awful. It made me feel sick with rage.

I saw there was actually a small padlock on the book, which was unusual to say in the least. Though, knowing what was stored inside, it made sense. I turned to the demon, and he hopped back.

"Careful! Shit, you trying to burn me?" He growled.

"No, but I will if you keep being a dick."

"Just take it outside."

"How am I supposed to destroy this, exactly?"

"Burn it in moonlight."

"Right." I sighed while going for the door. "'Cause that's the obvious thing to do." I grumbled under my breath. Grabbing a lighter from the kitchen, I then went to the backyard with the demon trailing after me. I set the book down into the firepit before he grabbed my hand and cut my palm with his claw. "Ow! Fuck! A head's up would've been nice."

"Shut up and bleed." He held my hand over the book, and as my blood dripped onto the cover it began to sizzle as smoke rose up. Using my other hand to rub my forehead, I wasn't going to try to logic this because it was clearly beyond what I understood. I could only chalk it up to....well....magick.

The demon held my hand over the book until it stopped hissing and steaming. He licked my hand to heal to wound, making me cringe.

"So gross." I muttered before raising the lighter. "This seems a bit anti-climatic."

"You just bled onto a sizzling book in a pit in your backyard. What more do you want?"

"I'm not _wanting_ anything, this just seems a bit easy if this is all it takes to break the seals on you, O' Powerful One." The demon smacked me upside the head. "Ow!"

"It's only easy because you're a blood relative of the exorcist that made the seal. If you weren't, this would be _much_ more complicated."

"Wait, seriously?" My brows furrowed and the demon put his hands on his hips while closing his eyes and clenching his jaw.

"Yes. Seriously. Even if _you_ don't know what you're doing, Blood Magick is the strongest type of magick. Because of that, it's the go-to magick in sealing powerful demons."

"So all I have to do is burn the book now?" I waved the lighter in my hand, and the demon glanced to the sky.

"Yeah."

"....What exactly will happen once I do this?"

"I become whole again. Though, because of _you_ , I'll still be stuck in this stupid fucking house." He snarled with his face close to mine. "There's no turning back now, little rabbit. You made a deal."

"I _know_." I said bitterly before lighting the book in the pit on fire. At first, the fire looked normal enough, but as the book burned more it began to change colors and rise higher. The demon next to me began to chuckle, sounding deep and sinister.

I needed to figure out how to send this evil bastard back to Hell. If Uncle Jordan was an exorcist and sealed powers in his office library....surely he must also have books on _how_ to do that stuff as well. Right? I wasn't sure I could exactly just stroll into the public library and ask for books on exorcism and magick.

I flinched when the chuckling turned into loud, maniacal laughter. The demon looked absolutely mad as wind swirled around him, whipping his hair around as a faint blue glow covered his skin. I heard Dagur barking, and dogs in the neighborhood began to howl and viciously bark as well. I knew I had fucked up days ago, but looking at the demon laughing so loudly in the moonlight only doubled that feeling.

I _really_ needed to find a way to send this fucker back to Hell.

Those feral, blue eyes locked onto me as the demon had a huge grin on his face. The wind died down, as did the glow, and the fire returned to a normal flame eating away at the book. The demon advanced on me but I quickly stepped back until I stumbled over the outdoor furniture. The blunder only seemed to amuse the demon more before he set a paw onto my chest and pushed me down onto the ground.

"Little rabbit," His voice was low as he stepped on me and placed his hands onto his hips. He bent forward while narrowing his eyes at me. "I know what you're thinking. But you won't be able to do it. Not now that I have my power back." He pushed down on me harder, making the retractable claws in his paw shoot out and prick through the fabric of my shirt. "You know nothing of exorcisms. You know nothing of demons. You're going to die failing to do what you planned, I'm going to take your soul, and then I'm going to fucking tear this town apart."

"There's power in a true name, right?" I questioned while looking up at the demon as my hands balled into fists. "You think I wouldn't pay attention to the book? I'm not stupid, _Grimmjow_." The demon froze, his features twisting into the angriest look I'd ever seen on him. "Get off me." He looked to be struggling with how jerky his movements were, but his paw lifted from my chest.

Pushing myself up, I stood and looked the demon in the eye as he was growling at me. I took a deep breath through my nose while trying to calm down.

"I may not know how to do any of that yet, but I've got your name and our deal. And having those things gives me the time I need to learn. Killing you may be impossible, I don't even fucking know, but one of these days I _will_ send your ass back to Hell. I _will_ do what my uncle couldn't. And you know what else? Tonight _you_ are going to let _me_ sleep in peace, Grimmjow."

The demon flexed his claws while snarling, looking pissed off while his fangs were close to my face. He was twitchy like he was trying to pounce but was unable to. Tightening my fists, I walked around him and went inside.

~

Enjoying my breakfast and coffee, I was actually feeling good with having an actual night's rest. No singing, no objects being knocking over, no demon laughing like a hellion and taunting me through the night. Yui and Gary would also be coming over for a day of movies and relaxing, which was just what I needed.

From experience, it was clear the demon was more of a nocturnal creature, so during the day would be fine to have guests. I would have preferred going to one of their places, but I didn't want to leave Dagur here alone with that feline bastard for that long. Even if I compelled Grimmjow to leave Dagur alone, I didn't feel comfortable leaving the two of them together.

There was a knock at the front door and I was about to get up to answer it but froze when a blue-haired man strolled into view. It was the demon, but he looked human. All of his markings were gone save for the ones under his eyes, and his hair was even short. And he was wearing a pair of my boxers and nothing else.

He didn't even look at me as he walked past, and I dropped my fork out of shock as he opened the front door. The demon placed a hand on his hip while looking down at Yui who went bug-eyed at the man in front of her.

"Who are you?"

"Uuuhhh...." Yui's mouth hung open and it was then that I came back to my senses.

"Grimmjow! Go put some pants on!" I slammed my hands down onto the island I was eating at. He clicked his tongue but looked at me with a smirk while going back into the hall.

"You, uh, didn't mention having a new partner, Wynter." Yui rose her brows at me while entering the house. She closed the door behind herself before taking her shoes off.

"It's not like that." I said quickly.

"FWB?"

"Goodness, no."

"So a booty call?" Yui quirked up a brow while gesturing to the hall Grimmjow had disappeared down.

"No. Look, it's _nothing_ like that." I took a large drink of my coffee. "He....needed a place to crash. I'm just letting him use one of the spare rooms."

"You at least know him, right? This isn't some Craigslist-"

"Yui, please." I sighed as she leaned onto the island.

"What? I'm just making sure you're being careful."

"I am."

"How long have you known him? You never mentioned a blue-haired hottie to me." Her eyes drifted to the hall again, and I wanted to throw something at the demon.

"He's....a friend of my uncle's. And don't even think about it, Yui. He's an absolute dickhead."

"Shame." Dagur came barreling in, wiggling around as he went to circle Yui's legs. "Hey, handsome! Have you been a good boy? Yeah? Of course, you have!" She gushed while bending over and petting the dog. As she went down, I saw the demon standing in the hall, leaning on the corner with his hands shoved into the pockets of the sweatpants he wore.

He was grinning at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He was going to try and start shit, wasn't he? I shot a glare at the demon but he went unfazed.

"Do you know when Gary gets here?" Yui asked and Grimmjow's face soured.

"He should be here any minute."

"What are you guys gonna do?" The demon spoke up, startling Yui.

"Watch movies and pig out." I replied.

"Sounds....entertaining."

"You can join if you want." Yui waved her hand. "The more, the merrier, right, Wynter?" She turned to me and Grimmjow got a shit-eating grin again.

"....Right."

"Then I guess I will." Turning away from the demon, I scrunched my eyes closed while rinsing off my dishes. I could only guess the new human form and cockiness to come out in front of other people was connected to him getting his power back. He wouldn't have to play as careful as before.

Setting the dishes into the dishwasher, it was then that there was another knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Grimmjow sounded eager as he quickly walked over to the door. 'Please don't call him piss-boy, please don't call him piss-boy.' I mentally panicked as the door opened and the demon leaned onto the frame. Gary's eyes widened at the man giving him a dirty look. "The fuck do you want?"

"Uuhh.... I'm here for the movie marathon."

"Mm. Wynter, your little boyfriend is here." Grimmjow swung back to look at me. Sighing, I rubbed my forehead.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Yeah, well, maybe if you got laid you wouldn't be so damn cranky." He popped off and I just threw the nearest thing at him. Grimmjow burst into wild laughter, easily catching the apple. "I'm only teasing, relax." He bit into the red fruit before losing interest in Gary and wandered over to the couch. Instead of going around, he just placed his hand onto the back of it before hopping over and landing on the cushion.

"You weren't kidding." Yui muttered with raised brows. Gary gave me an expecting look, wanting an explanation.

"He's temporarily crashing here, feel free to ignore him."

"....Right. So, I brought some movies to start us off." Gary began to dig in the bag hanging at his side while closing the door with his heel. Grimmjow loudly bit into the apple again as Gary set the movies onto the island.

Today was going to be exhausting. I just knew it.

~

Falling face-first into bed, I heavily sighed while groaning. Grimmjow kept antagonizing Gary like a damn pest, trying to rile up the man and start a fight. Whether it was to get back at him for the times he'd interrupted the demon, or because he just wanted to pick a fight, he nearly succeeded if Gary had any less self-control.

The only time that damn demon was quiet was when he was eating.

"Aw, is the poor little rabbit tired?" I looked up to see the man crouched on the edge of the bed while looking down at me.

"Tired of your shit."

"And to think you have so many more years left of this." He rubbed his chin while grinning. "Think you can handle it?"

"Grimmjow, sit." He nearly fell off the bed as he tried to fight the pressure I knew was forcing him down.

"You fucker." He growled at me while sitting on the bed now.

"You could make this easier for both of us if you stopped acting like a prick."

"It'd be easier for me if you stopped being a pain in the ass."

"You were nicer before I even knew you were here."

"Yeah, well, too bad. I'm here."

"If I compelled you to go to Hell, would it work?"

"No. You don't have the kind of power to do that."

"....But it's possible?"

"Not for a demon of my caliber. You _might_ be able to compel lower levels if you have their name, but not me."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"You can try it. Won't work."

"You know what, what the Hell kind of power do you keep going on about me having?"

"You have a lot of spiritual power. My guess is inherited with your uncle being an exorcist. And before you ask, yes, spiritual power is what's needed to fight and exorcise demons. Those with high power levels are usually targeted by demons to feed on their souls, or they learn to use that power to go after demons."

"God, this is so fucking wild." I sighed while rubbing a hand over my face. Dagur hopped up onto the bed, sniffing around before coming up between the demon and I. I thought the dog would lay down next to me, but he instead turned attention to the blue-haired man.

Watching closely, it looked like Grimmjow's tiny eyebrows furrowed even more as he stared at the dog sniffing at his hand. Dagur then raised his head, tail wagging before he licked the demon's face from chin to forehead. My eyes widened, seeing how the demon tensed and his face twisted.

Grimmjow lowly growled before baring his teeth at Dagur, making the heeler yelp and back away.

"Hey!" I shoved the demon back, making him fall off of the bed.

"Who the fuck do you think you are pushing me?!" The demon shot up, grabbing me by the front of my shirt. Dagur began to bark warnings until the demon turned on him and roared with his eyes flashing black. Dagur sped back out of the room.

"The fuck is wrong with you?! Leave my dog alone!"

"Did you not see what that mutt just did to me?!"

"He's just trying to be nice, you asshole." I snarled, grabbing Grimmjow's jaw to make him look at me instead of the way Dagur had run. "You don't fucking go after my dog. You don't growl at my dog. You don't even so much as give my dog a dirty look, do you fucking understand me?" The demon looked surprised with the vicious tone I had. "Dagur is off-limits. Hurt him, and I'll make your life here just like Hell. Nod if you understand."

His brows furrowed more as he looked at me but slowly nodded.

"Good." I let his jaw go, but he still held the front of my shirt. There was a second pause before he let me go, then wandered out of the room.


	7. Sexta Espada

"Whatever happened to you only coming out later in the day?" I questioned while not looking up from my laptop.

"I've got my body and power back." Grimmjow replied, biting into a Twizzler as his tail was lazily curling and uncurling. He was sprawled out across the desk just behind my laptop, propping his head up on his other hand. The demon truly did embody a feline both in features and actions.

The demon didn't look to have a care in the world as he was snacking, and Dagur was curled up in the sunlight coming through a window. However, what Grimmjow wasn't aware of was the fact that I wasn't actually working. I was doing research.

I didn't expect to find much, but there seemed to be quite a bit of info on demons. Now, I wasn't sure what all was fact or fiction, but some of what I read did indeed line-up with my personal experience. I couldn't find anything looking up the demon's name directly, so I was having to do general research.

I'd also come to the conclusion that the real reason Uncle Jordan had taken up renovating the house wasn't to make it look nicer, but to make it last longer. From what I was seeing, demons tended to be near-immortal, meaning this house would have to be able to stay standing for a long time to keep Grimmjow trapped in the basement. I'd also figured Uncle Jordan hadn't taken into account the demon would be able to project himself even after being sealed because of the trouble he could still cause.

I mean, even as a projection, the demon could touch things, walk around, see things- I'd thought he was in his real body when he hadn't been. The only reason I could think of this happening was Uncle Jordan not having the power to seal him completely. Also, from what I'd found so far, it was possible Grimmjow was actually a high ranked demon with his ability to influence the human world and take physical form. Not only that, he'd made himself look human and interacted with people for an entire day.

"You're not from Christian beliefs, are you?"

"Nah." He then looked at me while rolling the Twizzler between his fingers. "Why?"

"You don't look like what I've learned about."

"Oh? Go to Sunday School like a good little rabbit?"

"No. Most demon movies and books use Christian demons."

"Mm."

"So....what belief system _are_ you from?"

"There isn't a religion for the faction I come from."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Within the other realm, Hell, as you call it, there are different factions. Each faction is made up of what belief system either created them or took their identity into their texts. We only identify within these factions because of having common enemies. The Abrahamic devils against their Abrahamic gods, for example."

"So if your faction doesn't have a religion....who is the 'enemy' you rally against?"

"Humanity. Exorcists. Whatever we want at the moment." He half shrugged as my brows furrowed.

"Then how the Hell were you created?"

"Like many demons, we come from humans. Though, some more literal than others."

"And that's supposed to mean what exactly?" I asked, and he clicked his tongue.

"Some demons come from an excessive build-up of a specific human emotion, some demons come from human souls that have been....tainted. Twisted. However you want to say it."

"And you?"

"I'm a more complicated matter." His ear twitched as he picked up another Twizzler. The demon was impulsive and cruel, but he'd yet to turn down a chance to show off or brag about himself. "The faction I come from were made from human souls, though that's just the first step. A human soul becomes....incomplete, unable to pass on, and feeds on other souls in an attempt to fill the missing 'piece'. The soul gains power the more it feeds, but it's still incomplete. The more souls it eats, the more demonic it becomes. And it doesn't matter 'who' the soul was in the beginning, the strongest soul wins out and becomes the consciousness."

"So when one soul eats another, if the one eaten is stronger, it gains control?"

"Right." He waved the Twizzler at me. "If enough human souls are consumed, it'll become powerful enough to feed on lower-class demons. Once it begins to feed on demons, it itself becomes one. The feeding continues until it no longer craves to fill the void. Though, it's not unheard of to continue the cannibalism just for the Hell of it."

"That would mean that you've...."

"Eaten other demons? Yeah." He sadistically grinned. "Lots of 'em. I've even lost count of the human souls."

"Then....are you also ranked high in this faction you're in?"

"Fuck yeah, I am. I'm an Espada." My brows furrowed with confusion and he rolled his eyes. "The Espada are the top ten of the Arrancar."

"So like the Seven Princes?"

"At least you're not completely stupid." Grimmjow popped off, and now I had yet another thing to worry about. The bastard on my desk lounging like a housecat was one of the ten most powerful among his group. No wonder Uncle Jordan had such difficulty with him.

"Then which one are you? Of the ten, I mean."

"You're rather curious today, little rabbit."

"I'm trying to get a sense of how hard I have to beat your ass, that's all." He scoffed as his tail twitched.

"I'm the sixth."

"Then about the other powers in the books here, are any of them other Arrancars?" Grimmjow's gaze drifted over the room before focusing back on me.

"No."

"That's a bit comforting to know."

"Why?"

"Because then I don't have to worry about more of you around my house." Grimmjow chuckled, and I leaned back in my chair since I doubted I would find anything on Arrancar or Espada online. "So, if you're not from a religion-based faction, how is it exorcists can still seal, bind, or send you back to Hell?"

"We're still demons. It just takes magick instead of prayer, or whatever the fuck it is the priests do."

"Mm-hm." I hummed while standing up as the demon watched me. Looking over the books on the shelf, I slowly ran my finger over the spines while reading the titles. "So you have no aversion to any holy symbols?"

"No."

"Then why can't you touch blessed objects? That doesn't make sense if you ask me."

"I'm an 'unholy' being. I'm hollow of what it is to be a human. The gods and divine deities still certainly have an aversion to me. Though, not all of them have the power to repel me."

"Let's say I threw a cross at you. What would happen?"

"I'd throw it back to get even."

"And a crucifix?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Buddha?"

"Why the fuck would you throw a Buddha at me?"

"Just wanting to get an idea of what does and doesn't work against you."

"Little rabbit, it's not the symbols of the religion. It's the deities behind them. They specifically have to intervene, whether through blessing or through the fucking exorcists."

"Mm. I think I'm understanding it now."

"Really?"

"The symbols are man-made objects, whereas the exorcists use their spiritual power, and blessings are the power of the deities. Basically, you're hurt by what makes you."

"Good, little rabbit. Though, what power you are able to access now wouldn't even cut my hair." His tone was condescending, and my hand stopped on a vanilla colored book. It was shorter than the books around it, and I pulled it from the shelf.

"What happens to an exorcist's soul when they die?"

"Well, since their main cause of death is a demon, it gets eaten."

"....And my uncle?"

"His bitter ass moved on." Grimmjow's tone took on an edge of distaste and irritation. Flipping open the book in my hands while standing with my back to the demon, I confirmed my suspicion about it. Uncle Jordan did indeed have a book on Arrancar. I figured he might seeing as he did display the capability of sealing one.... Thank goodness he kept it in his office. "Worried I'd eaten him, little rabbit?"

"Just curious if you had. You couldn't while sealed, could you?"

"No."

"Would that mean if I sealed you before I died, my soul would move on since you'd be unable to take it?" I questioned while flipping through the old smelling pages.

"No. There's no escaping it, little rabbit. Your soul is mine."

"Then what would happen?"

" _If_ you somehow managed to do that, you'd be stuck wandering a limbo-like realm until I come to collect. Because you promised your soul to me in exchange for something in return, no deity will take you to their 'Heaven', nor would you be able to reincarnate. The only way to free your soul would be my death, or I decide not to eat your soul."

"Great." I cringed while looking over my shoulder at the demon. "So, my soul basically has a 'Property of Grimmjow' tag on it."

"Exactly." He smirked. Sighing, I turned back to the book, skimming over the pages to see if what I was specifically looking for was in here. There wasn't exactly a table of contents to give better direction, so I had to do this the long way.

"And my power that you want to bring out.... How do you plan on doing that?"

"I was thinking about fighting it out of you, but you're still too fragile for that. It'll have to start with just sensing things."

"Fight it out of me? Seriously?"

"Hey, you get your ass kicked enough times, you might figure somethin' out."

"....Pantera?" I mumbled as my brows furrowed, reading the large lettering at the top of the page. Judging from the word and what little I managed to read under it, it was referring to Grimmjow.

"And what the _fuck_ are you reading, little rabbit?" Grimmjow's breath hit the back of my head while his claws clicked onto the shelf in front of me.

"A book on the Arrancar." I said honestly, trying to ignore the edge of aggression in his voice. "There doesn't seem to be anything about your name, though. It just describes you and some of your past exploits. The 'Pantera' name is 'cause of how you look, isn't it?" Glancing back at him as he was glaring down at me, I quirked up a brow. "Why, got a problem with it?"

He snatched the book from my hands while still standing right behind me. His eyes went over the pages as he quickly flipped through them. Was he actually worried I'd find something in there to use against him? Clicking his tongue, he held the book in front of my face.

"Knock yourself out. It's old as shit, anyhow."

"How old?"

"Missing a good few decades."

"Still gonna read it, though." I said while taking back the book.

"It won't tell you anything useful."

"Maybe not from your perspective."

"That sounds like an insult, little rabbit." He lowly growled, and his eyes narrowed.

"If you want to take it that way. I already know you're impulsive, destructive, and downright a dick, but maybe something in here might give insight I'll need for when I'm ready to take you out."

"You mean _try_ to."

"Agree to disagree." Walking under his arm to go sit back down, I flipped back to the section with Pantera. "And when you said 'sensing things', what exactly are you making me sense?"

"The other demon books. They'll be harder to find since they're weaker than me." I paused for a second before looking up at the demon with a surprised expression on my face.

"You're not trying to teach me to use my power because you want a better soul."

"The fuck are you talking about?"

"You're doing it to defeat other demons." His brows furrowed more as he looked at me. "You said yourself that demons go after people with high spiritual power. You're trying to make it to where I can defend myself."

"Right." He scoffed and put his hands onto his hips as his tail swayed. "And why the fuck would I bother with that?"

"Because you're selfish. You can't have my soul if another demon eats it first, and you can't leave this property. I leave here, then I'm basically defenseless against your kind. You want me able to defend myself so you don't have competition for my soul."

"....Fuckin' pain in the ass, I swear." He grumbled. "Yeah, I'm selfish. Yeah, I want you to kick any demon's ass that comes for you." Grimmjow placed a hand onto the desk while lowly growling. "That power I tasted from you is the best I've tasted in a _long_ fucking time, little rabbit. I want to enjoy every last fucking bit of it."

"Ever heard of personal space?" Grabbing one of his horns, I shoved his head back.


	8. Weapons Come In Many Forms

I didn't get much from the book about Grimmjow, but I saw that there wasn't a single mention of the giant scar over his chest. He did say the book was a few decades old, so he must have gotten than wound sometime within that gap of then and now. I did find, however, that I was correct that only weaponized spiritual energy could harm the demon.

Which meant whatever had caused the scar was either another demon or an exorcist. Whichever it was hadn't managed to kill Grimmjow, so I assumed the blue-haired demon had come out as the victor.

Currently, I was reading more on the known Arrancar while absentmindedly running my fingers over the spines of books. I was trying to find the other demonic powers sealed in the office. So far, I had found two and had taken them down to the dark basement to get them out of the office. Grimmjow was also right about it being more difficult with these powers being weaker- I had felt the intense power of his book so easily, and the feeling it flooded me with was to a sickening degree.

These books, on the other hand, I had to be slow going over or I'd miss them. Touching them also only made my fingers tingle and a little irritated compared to Grimmjow's deep rage. Taking my hand back a book, I waited to see if I'd felt what I thought I had.

Pulling the book from the shelf, I saw the small padlock that confirmed it. A loud crash came from the backyard followed by mad laughter. Heavily sighing, I could only imagine what that feline bastard had broken this time around. There was another crash and more of that crazed laugh Grimmjow had.

Taking the book to the basement, I saw Dagur barking while having his paws up on the window. Tucking the Arrancar book under my arm, I lifted my phone to use the flashlight to illuminate the dark staircase. Putting away the book with the others, I came back upstairs and went to the back sliding doors.

I froze as my gaze landed on the blue-haired demon laughing like a hyena on the porch. I only froze because he was sitting on the back of another demon, pinning its arms down with his paws, and jerking its head up by the horns. There were small craters littering the yard, and blood splattered over the rocks around the pool. Wild blue eyes landed on me and I was tempted to close the door back and return to the office to pretend I didn't see this.

"Uh...."

"This bitch came for you." Grimmjow stated while still holding the demon's horns, nearly folding the creature in half. "I decided to have some fun." He grinned as I looked over the yard again. Despite how destroyed my yard was....I couldn't help but compare Grimmjow to a cat bringing a rodent to the back door since, in a way, that's what he'd done.

Except the rodent was a buff demon with boar-like features and hooves scraping over the concrete.

"Right. And, uh, what exactly do you plan on doing with....the demon?" I pointed before it loudly squealed and Grimmjow snapped its neck. "Mm, yeah, no." I closed the back door and locked it before quickly walking to the office.

"That won't stop me, little rabbit." Grimmjow said, now laying across the desk yet again while licking blood from his fingers.

"I'm well aware. Please tell me you didn't just leave a body in my backyard on top of everything else."

"It'll disperse soon enough."

"That go for the shit you broke too? The land you blew up?" His tail twitched before he rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head.

"No."

"Then fix it."

"No."

"Yes. You fucked it up, now go unfuck it up."

"Do it your damn self."

"Grimmjow." He visibly tensed, deeply glaring at me as I rose my eyebrows at him. "I can compel you to do it, or you can go do it yourself. Choose." A low growl rumbled in the room as the demon rolled off of the desk. Fangs snapped close to my face, but I managed to stand still.

"You're a lucky little shit, I hope you know that. I should have just let that demon kill you."

"I would have figured something out even if you didn't intervene."

"Oh, yeah? Do tell." I saw his claws flex at his sides.

"You really think I got rid of those blessed spikes?" His ears perked up. "Until I can actually use my power, those are all I've got. I'm not stupid. Now," I poked his chest while furrowing my brows and narrowing my eyes. "the yard." He growled at me again, then stormed out of the office.

~

"Catnap...." I muttered while looking at the demon sprawled out under the sunlight coming in through the window. How was it that someone so terrifying at times was so....adorable? I mean, the machine of destruction had fucking paw pads like a cat.

Or, well, a panther.

Walking past the demon while shaking my hand, his hand suddenly shot out and grabbed my leg. The fall was not a light one, and I heard Grimmjow chuckling as he pushed himself up. I shot a glare over my shoulder, about to yell at the demon until he pounced on me. He had me pinned against the floor as he breathed on my cheek.

"You're so easy to catch, little rabbit. Can you imagine what other demons would do to you? You've got to make this harder."

"Fuck you!" I snarled, swinging back my elbow to try and hit him. Grimmjow easily caught my arm before pinning it back onto the floor.

"Are you trying to make me laugh?" I couldn't tell if he was genuinely asking or just being a dick. "You think those little blessed spikes will save you? You'd have to be able to even get to them to use them. You think piss-boy will come knocking on doors to rescue you? He'd get eaten before he could even scream." Grimmjow's tone dropped as his claws scraped up my arms. "You're so fragile, little rabbit. I'm surprised you made it this far in life without being eaten."

Claws pricked at my shoulders through my shirt, and I was getting tired of being looked down on.

"Grimmjow, get off of me." The demon growled, how motions jerky as he stood up and let me go.

"You won't be able to use that trick on other demons. They'd sooner kill you before you even utter a syllable."

"Grimmjow, sit." My tone was harsh as I pushed myself off of the floor and turned on the demon baring his teeth at me. "You think I'm not well aware of the limitations I have? You think I don't know that I can only compel demons I know the name of?" Grabbing him by the horns, my voice went to a dangerously calm tone. "So why don't you stop with all this bullshit and teach me how to fucking fight back already?"

His face was set in a cold glare, but he wasn't snarling anymore. His tail thumped against the floor with agitation, but I saw a smirk play onto his lips.

"Fine. If the little rabbit wants to dive in head-first, who am I to say no to that?" Grimmjow's claws clicked against the floor. "I can teach you how to access and use your spiritual power, though I won't teach you any exorcism spells. Those you can learn yourself."

"Good enough." I let his horns go, and he continued to look up at me. He seemed to be thinking about something, but I couldn't tell what.

"You're going to need a weapon."

"....What?"

"A weapon. Something to channel your power through."

"Where the Hell am I supposed to get something like that?"

"You've got the blessed spikes." Grimmjow stood now that the compulsion had worn off. "Get them."

~

"So....what exactly are we about to do? I'm not sure this is....safe."

"It's not." Grimmjow said flatly while leaning onto the table. "Get the spikes." I pulled one from each of my front pockets, and the demon slowly blinked at me. "You had those in your pockets this whole time?"

"Yeah." He closed his eyes while rolling his head before looking back at me.

"Just put the damn things on the table."

"In the circle?"

"Yes, in the circle." Grimmjow shifted his weight on his feet as I set the railroad spikes onto the third circle. The first two circles on the other side of the table had two of the demon power books. This entire set-up was if-y from my perspective, but what else was there for me to do?

The dim lighting from the candles flickered, making the metal spikes glitter. Grimmjow stood behind me, grabbing my hands to put them over the spikes.

"Just like when you were sensing the books, focus the power in your hands."

"Are you sure we should be doing this with those books?"

"Yes. Demon killing weapons are forged with the power of an exorcist, the one wielding it, and demon essence, the power in the books. Your power makes the weapon _yours_ , the demons make it easier for the weapon to draw out your energy and direct it to other demons. Now, focus." He growled before lifting his hands from mine and raising them towards the books.

Baring his claws at the books, the padlocks popped off before the books sprung open. A black and green glow covered their pages, then swirled and gathered into orbs in the air. Swallowing, I tried to do as the demon instructed, but was having difficulty.

"Aw, need _more_ help, little rabbit?" Grimmjow chuckled, and I wanted to elbow him in the ribs so badly. "Just think about what you want to do to me, that'll no doubt get it." What I wanted to do was hit him, but with how he'd said it.... 'Why the fuck is my mind going there?!'

Something sparked from my palm as heat flooded my hands. The circles on the table began to glow, and Grimmjow lowered his hands to bring the demonic orbs closer. There were more sparks when the orbs made contact with the spikes as if the two forces were trying to oppose one another.

"Raise your output." Grimmjow ordered, and the two materials began to slowly melt together. The spikes looked like molten metal on the table before bubbling and crawling in different directions to take a new shape. It was hissing until it looked to be cooling down.

A sword. There was a fucking sword on the table.

Though, I didn't get to observe it long when I felt the demon's horns tap the top of my head as his nose was in my hair. I tensed, seeing Grimmjow's claws dig into the table on either side of me.

" _What_ were you thinking about, little rabbit? Because _that_ is certainly not aggression I smell." There was a low purr while hot breath hit the back of my neck. I felt my ears getting hot out of embarrassment and shame.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mm. You may be a pain in the ass, but, _fuck_ , do you smell good." Grimmjow's hands on the table went to my hips, pulling my body back into his. "Oh, little rabbit~." He purred.

"You're so annoying!" I swung back an elbow, but the demon easily caught it just like before. His hand slid up my arm and down my side as his lips brushed over the side of my neck.

"That's not what your scent is saying."

"Your nose is broken."

"We both know that's not true. You think I'm fucking sexy, don't you, little rabbit?"

"Fuck off."

"Make me." Grimmjow licked the side of my neck while purring, sending a shiver up my spine. Grabbing the sword, I twisted around and pressed the blade to the demon's throat. He only looked down at me with amusement while trapping me between the table and his hips. His tongue ran over his lips hungrily, and I wasn't sure if his pupils were so wide because of the dark or because of me.

"Fine. You've got a pretty face, but that doesn't mean I have any interest in _you_."

"That's fine. I don't mind if you just want my body. It'll be a win-win, little rabbit."

"We are _not_ having sex."

"Are you sure? 'Cause the way you're smelling-"

"I'm sure." My grip on the sword tightened as I swallowed.

"Well....when you change your mind, you know where I'll be, little rabbit."


	9. Soft

Sitting at my desk with my head in my hand and my elbow on the armrest, I couldn't stop staring at the sword. It was simply laying across the desk but I couldn't get over the fact that this thing had just been forged with magick. Not only that, but it looked like a katana of all things.

Grimmjow told me prior to forging it that the shape it took reflected my soul, though, how in the world did a katana reflect my soul? The blade was black except for the silver edge, and the hilt was wrapped in black leather. The guard had carved out sections that formed swirling gaps while a single white bell dangled from a delicate chain at the pommel.

I wasn't sure what the bell was for or why it was there, it made very little sense to me from a combative perspective. Flicking the bell, it made a soft tinkling sound. Furrowing my brows, I continued to stare at the blade on my desk.

Picking it up in one hand, I saw myself reflected in the blade's edge. It was extremely sharp as it reflected the light from the windows.

"How odd...." I mumbled, seeing no visible signs that this katana had been made by magick.

~

"What's for dinner?" Grimmjow hopped up to sit on the island counter while watching me cook.

"You act like you're getting some."

"You're gonna let me starve on top of everything else?"

"You don't even need to eat."

"But I like to taste good things." The demon stated and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm making chicken alfredo."

"Smells nice."

"I used an Italian seasoning blend." Shifting my weight on my feet, I reached for the cabinet to pull out a couple of bowls. "So, how do you plan on paying for the food you keep eating?"

"You've got a job, don't you?"

"Moocher."

"Mortal."

"Annoying ass."

"Dumbass." Grimmjow retorted before taking off with one of the bowls of alfredo. Narrowing my eyes at him, he was flipping me off over his shoulder.

"I don't have to share _my_ dinner with you."

"And yet, you still do."

"Only because I feel bad for you. Like a stray animal."

"Says the little rabbit blindly wandering into the world of demons and exorcists, begging me for help."

"I've never begged for your help." I grumbled since the demon was now gone. "Stupid demon."

~

Coming to in a half-awake, half-asleep state, I lowly groaned from the uncomfortable position I was in. I had a feeling it came from either Dagur kicking me in his sleep or Grimmjow being an ass. Stretching out, I closed my eyes while yawning before rolling over to go back to sleep.

My hand landed in Dagur's soft fur as he was soundly sleeping on the pillow next to me. I could hear his soft breathing and ran my fingers through his fur. Tiredly petting Dagur, I was beginning to quickly drift back to sleep. Rubbing his ear, my brows slightly furrowed when I heard him lowly growling. Was he having a bad dream?

My eyes shot open when I realized the growling was actually purring. It was deep and rumbling like distant thunder, and as my eyes adjusted to the dark, the shape in front of me showed that I indeed was not petting Dagur. I was petting Grimmjow.

I froze, not knowing what to do while unsure if the demon was actually sleeping or not. I held my breath when he began to move and rolled over to face me. His eyes were closed as he was still lowly purring.

He was actually asleep.

Thank goodness.

Slowly letting out my breath, I relaxed until tensing a second after when the demon leaned his face into my hand. ....Should I? I mean, he was asleep, he wouldn't know. Sighing through my nose, I brushed my thumb over his cheek. I slid my fingers behind his ear, petting the soft fur as Grimmjow continued to purr in his sleep.

The sound he was making was rather relaxing in the otherwise quiet room. I didn't know why the demon was sleeping in my bed, and I was too exhausted to really bother with it, but if this was what I got out of it....I wouldn't mind it too much. Closing my eyes, my fingers went into his hair as I pet just behind his ear.

That rumbling purr lulled me to sleep the longer it went on.

~

Blinking slowly, I woke to the morning sun peeking through the curtains to cast lines across the bed. I immediately began to panic as I locked eyes with the demon while my hand was still under his ear and partially on the side of his neck. I saw that his pupils were wide before he shot out of the bed when I jerked my hand back.

Sitting up, I spotted Dagur lazily licking his paws at the end of the bed. Groaning, I dropped my head into my hands. I didn't move at all for a moment, then flung the blanket off before going downstairs to make coffee.

Maybe if I pretend like it didn't happen all would be fine. Yeah, if I didn't act bothered, surely Grimmjow wouldn't poke fun at me about it. ....Right?

Crossing my arms onto the counter as the coffee machine dripped fresh brew, I buried my face into my arms. I hated how adorable that fucker could be. It was possible that was the most dangerous thing about him- He could so easily fool someone into thinking he wasn't dangerous.

And those stupid fucking feline behaviors he showed could make me forget he had more than enough potential to maul me. Grimmjow had literally killed a demon in my backyard while laughing like a fucking maniac, and I went to sleep petting him like a damn housecat. Pushing myself from the counter, I grabbed a mug to put together my coffee.

When I turned around, Grimmjow walked right by, stealing my coffee before going right out the front door. He was in his human form, wearing clothes this time at least, and closed the door not-so-quietly behind him.

"Rude." I muttered while grabbing another mug. I knew he couldn't leave the property, so I assumed he was just drinking the coffee on the front porch. My friends already knew about him being here also, so it wasn't like it'd be a big deal if one of them dropped by and saw him out there.

I, however, went to the backyard with my coffee and let Dagur out with me. Sighing as I sat down, I groggily soaked up the morning sun. There was still dew on the grass as the air smelt wet. Looking to the sky, I saw that it was mostly clear and a bright blue.

Sipping my coffee, I dropped my gaze to the yard and pool as birds chirped from the trees.


	10. Bunny and the Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Yeah so I'm definitely going to be drawing more Grimmjow cause this piece was too damn fun to do. BTW some art for my fics don't get posted on new chapters, like concept art or art for future chapters not yet published, but can be found on my Tumblr jplupine✌)

"What are you doing all the way over there? I'm not gonna cut you." I said while looking at the demon standing a good few yards away. We were supposed to be training, but Grimmjow had only told me to practice swinging with no other instruction. But he also kept yelling at me to correct my posture, change my stance, all the while throwing insults my way without actually showing me what I was supposed to be doing.

His hands were on his hips, and if he wasn't in human form his tail would probably be twitching with agitation.

"Like I'm worried about that." He scoffed.

"Then why are you halfway across the yard and yelling at me?"

"Because you suck."

"So you _are_ scared of getting cut."

"No."

"Then get over here and actually help me."

"No."

"I will fucking cut you."

"Good luck, little rabbit. You're a shit novice."

"Yeah, well, you're a shit teacher. I guess I'll just have to invite some exorcist Uncle Jordan knew to teach me instead, and get rid of _you_ while they're at it."

"You don't even know any exorcists-"

"Uncle Jordan had a book of contacts. I can easily go through them and find one." I declared, and Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at me. "So you can either actually teach me how to do this shit, or I get your ass kicked and someone else teach me." The demon stared at me for a few seconds, then began to walk over.

He crossed his arms over his chest, looking rather guarded as he still was a few feet away. Grimmjow, for some reason, continued to be in his human form ever since the morning he stole my coffee and went to the front porch with it. It was odd to say in the least since before he was constantly in his demon form except for when Yui and Gary came over.

Staring at Grimmjow, I furrowed my brows while keeping a firm hold on the katana in my hands.

"For someone who practically humped my leg before, you sure lack that bravado when it comes to affection."

"Shut the fuck up. You don't know what you're talking about." My head tilted as my brows rose high on my forehead, seeing the demon's ears shading pink.

"Holy shit.... You're actually embarrassed?"

"I am not." He snapped at me, baring his teeth that were abnormally sharp but could still pass as human.

"Really? Your ears are turning red." Observing the demon, he actually did look to be embarrassed. It was....very odd. Putting his hands onto his hips, he changed back to his demon form as short fur covered his animalistic ears. "Oh, my goodness. You're not used to affection, so you don't know how to deal with it, do you?"

"I'm not some little mortal so easily affected by stupid shit like that."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Mm-hm."

"I'm not!"

"Right." He was growling at me now, and I simply took a step forward while lowering the sword. Grimmjow looked confused for a second before I gently slid my hand over his cheek. My fingers went further back to pet behind his ear and the growling shifted to purring as his slit pupils widened. Grimmjow even leaned into my hand as I rose my brows at him.

"Stop that!" He smacked my hand away when he snapped out of it, but he was only proving my point. "I'm not a fucking cat!"

"Oh, I'm well aware."

"Then stop fucking petting me!"

"You obviously seem to like it from how you react. Though, I can only assume because you're not used to it is why you do....that." I waved my finger at him, seeing the aggressive body language he had that was made absolutely unintimidating by his wide pupils and his expression that was looking conflicted between two emotions.

"I do _not_ like it!" He snarled, getting close to my face to try and intimidate me. With a flat expression, I simply reached up and scratched under his chin. Almost immediately he was purring again while tilting his jaw.

"You can't tell me you don't like it and expect me to believe you when you're literally purring and leaning into it." Grimmjow smacked my hand away again.

"You little fucker! Stop that!" His palm landed on my head as he ruffled my hair. "See how you like it, you shit."

"It doesn't bother me, unlike you." I stated while looking up at Grimmjow. His nose scrunched up while both of his hands cupped my cheeks, trying to get a reaction out of me. However, I just stood there while he was rubbing my cheeks. I wanted to snicker when I realized Grimmjow was basically doing the motion cats did when making biscuits.

"This is bullshit."

"Your hands are really warm." The demon paused while looking down at me, and the rest of his face began to scrunch up. My own eyes went wide because I could have sworn pink was dusting his cheeks just before he turned away from me. "I am genuinely shocked that you can make sexual advancements with such ease but blush at platonic affection."

"I am _not_ blushing!" Grimmjow growled as his tail swayed.

"You literally shifted forms to hide the fact that your ears were turning red. Also, I know I saw your cheeks going pink just now." I waved my hand while looking at the demon as he still had his back to me. Grimmjow crossed his arms and shifted his weight on his feet. "You're, what, at _least_ a century old? Has no one really ever showed you affection before? And I don't mean sex, I mean genuine non-sexual affection."

His ears twitched, but he didn't say anything. I now actually felt a little bad for the demon. The dude had to be touch-starved. Running my hand through my hair, I rubbed the back of my neck while thinking.

Maybe, just _maybe_ , if I could actually get on good terms with Grimmjow....he just might be easier to deal with. I mean, the demon would still knock things off of shelves and tables just to get a rise out of me. Sheathing my sword, I walked up to Grimmjow and gave him a hug.

"....What are you doing? Stop that."

"No."

"Get off me."

"Mm-mm."

"Get. Off."

"Just face it, I'm not gonna let you go. Not until you hug me back." I shrugged and heard a quiet growl rumble beneath my ear.

"I will throw your ass across this yard."

"I'm just gonna be here longer if you don't hug me."

"I could rip your throat out."

"I'm beginning to think you really like this."

"I will break you."

"I'm still not gonna move." The demon went quiet, then hesitantly hugged me. "See? It's not so bad." I muttered while casually rubbing Grimmjow's back. He set his chin onto my shoulder, and I could hear a low purr. The hug was actually kind of nice if I was being honest. Grimmjow was warm and had a pleasant scent, and the soft purring had a relaxing effect.

"Yeah, not bad at all." The demon said as his hands went down my back to grab my rear.

"Aaand you ruined it." Rolling my eyes, I shoved Grimmjow back as he was laughing.

~

Cleaning off my glasses, I placed them back onto my nose to read the text on the laptop screen. Grimmjow was boredly playing fetch with Dagur, tossing a tennis ball down the hall to have the heeler scrabbling after it on the hardwood floor. Scrolling down the page, I carefully read over the words to see if anything needed editing.

"Oi. When are you gonna be done with that shit?"

"I've barely been at this for two hours."

"And?"

"I'm working. This is how I get money, Grimmjow. Not everyone can be a freeloader like you."

"You're staring at a screen."

"It's called reading. You should try it sometime, there's plenty of books in here." I popped off, and the demon clicked his tongue at me before tossing the ball again. "It's too dark out to do any more training, so I don't know what else you expect me to do."

"Well-"

"No."

"I didn't even say anything yet."

"By now, I know what that tone means."

"How could you even-"

"You're predictable." I said before looking up at the demon glancing over his shoulder at me. "Also, after being stuck with your ass after a few months, I'd be dense as a rock to *not* know that tone by now."

"Worth a shot." He shrugged, turning back to the hall as Dagur trotted up with the ball.

"Yeah, and every shot you take misses. Speaking of which, I've noticed you don't try any of that crap with Yui or Gary when they come over. And before you jump to shit, no, I don't want you to start trying either."

"That punk bitch is a piss-boy, and that little girlfriend of yours isn't my type."

"Okay, first off, _you_ are the one who pissed on Gary. And how do you mean Yui isn't your type? Didn't think you were picky enough to have a type."

"Oi!" His gaze snapped back to me as I scrolled down more. "I can have types."

"Really? Mr. I Don't Mind If You Just Want My Body isn't interested in Yui who's cute as a button? Gary, I can understand since you two don't get along, but her?"

"Hey, I said I don't mind if _you_ just want my body. You're powerful and taste fucking delicious. That woman doesn't even have half the power you do. I was serious before when I said I'm surprised you survived this long tasting the way you do."

"Oh, so it's power you're attracted to? Why am I not surprised." Briefly glancing to Grimmjow, I saw his eyes narrowing at me and I smirked. "You like to play the beast and bunny game, but is that what you're _really_ after?"

"Are you asking me what I think you're asking me?"

"I might be."

"You'll only ever be a little rabbit, Wynter."

"I wasn't asking what you think I am." Grimmjow's ears perked before a sinister-looking grin played onto his lips.

"What I think you are?" He stood up and pounced onto the desk, crouching with his elbows on his knees while looking down at me. "It's what I _know_ you are. Just a frightened little rabbit fluffing up to try and seem bigger."

"If you haven't noticed, I haven't been genuinely scared of you in a while." Picking up my water bottle, I popped the cap to take a drink. "Between the deal and me knowing your name, you can't actually hurt me. What's left to be scared of? That nasty glare? You stealing my food? You're more of a rabbit now than I am."

"Really? And which of us could break the other in half with ease? Which of us is hunting the other-"

"First off, 'could' simply means you have the potential, not that you _would_. Secondly, you're not hunting shit. You're bound here and laze about the house, causing minor trouble here and there around the property. About the only thing that actually has to be scared of you is other demons that wander into the yard." Setting the bottle back down onto the desk, I looked up at the demon. "You're just a big kitty now, _Pantera_."

The demon growled, shoving the back of my chair into the bookcase behind the desk while digging his claws into the material of the chair. He was balanced on the armrests as his fangs were close to my face and his tail was twitching with agitation. He looked pissed while I calmly sat there, and his eyes locked with mine.

"Watch your mouth, little rabbit."

"Why? I even know what makes you weak now."

"You don't even know how to access enough spiritual power to even hurt me."

"Oh, I didn't mean that. I literally mean 'makes you weak'." Confusion flashed across his eyes before I knocked his feet off of the armrests, making him land in my lap. I chuckled while rubbing his cheeks and ears, seeing his pupils widen as he began to purr. "Look at that, Big Bad Demon purring like a kitten."

"I will destroy you."

"You literally can't."

"I can make eating your soul the most painful experience you could ever endure."

"That's a long way away. Might as well get the most out of now."

"Fuck you, you little shit."

~

Barely peeking open an eye when I felt a dip in the bed, I saw Grimmjow crawling up while in his human form. He face-planted into the pillow next to me without saying anything. The room was dead silent in the dark, and my brow slowly rose at the blue-haired man.

With his face still in the pillow, he grabbed one of my hands and gently set it on his head. I wasn't sure if he knew I was still awake, but I doubted it since he tensed up when my fingers ran through his short hair.

"Relax. It's not something bad." My voice was barely over a whisper as I spoke. "It's okay to want affection."

"It's stupid. I hate it." He growled, and his voice was muffled by the pillow.

"What, the purring?"

"Yes, the fucking _purring._ "

"That just means you actually like it."

"I'm not a fucking housecat."

"No, you're not." I was actually surprised how quickly just showing the demon affection got him to _this_. "You know, the sound is actually very relaxing. It's nice." Grimmjow rolled his head to glare at me. "I'm serious. Come here, lemme show you something nice in return. And no, keep your head out of the gutter." I quickly added while raising my arm.

He looked at me like I was stupid, and I sighed through my nose.

"Scoot over here." I waved my hand at the demon before draping one of his arms over my side. Resting my jaw on top of his head, I brushed my fingers through his hair again. I knew it was rather odd to be cuddling a demon that only a few months ago was scaring me shitless and chasing me through the house, but Grimmjow was actually reciprocating. If he could be this calm more often, things would not only be less stressful, but I'd also be spending less to replace what he broke around the house.

And also because cuddling was nice and this gave me someone to hold while sleeping. It was a win-win. Grimmjow got physical affection after being touch-starved for who knows how long, and I got a cuddle buddy that made a noise that was a literal destresser.

I could feel Grimmjow's breath on my throat and chest as that low rumbling sound filled the quiet. So even in his human form, he purred? How sweet.

Closing my eyes, I could feel Grimmjow relaxing into the contact. Between the warmth and the purring, it was easy to fall asleep.


	11. Old Rival

Sweat was dripping down my back as the summer sun beat down on me. I had already managed to mow the lawn, but the sun was continuing to be relentless as I did yard work. The damn demon wasn't even bothering to help and instead took to lounging in the pool while sipping on some juice.

"You know, a lot of this shit is from you." I rose my voice while dragging a broken tree limb across the yard. "Wouldn't hurt to clean up after yourself."

"I fought the demon, my job here is done." Grimmjow raised his glass at me while grinning. He was in his human form again, but I could assume that had more to do with everyone coming over later for a barbecue.

"You could at least help me chop the wood."

"Nah, you're doing fine over there, little rabbit. Keep up the good work." Huffing, I snapped the twigs and smaller branches from the main branch. Making a pile for kindling, I then went to the porch and grabbed the ax. Propping it onto my shoulder, I placed my other hand onto my hip while looking at the blue-haired man floating on a blow-up seat.

"I thought you'd jump at the chance to break something."

"Breaking bones, yes. Chopping wood, no." Grimmjow waved a finger at me. "Go on, little rabbit. Get the wood for tonight's dinner." He was both taunting and condescending, making me roll my eyes.

"You're just the fuckin' rich lady and I'm the pool boy." Shaking my head, I saw Grimmjow raise a brow at me. "It's a trope. Rich lady has the pool boy do laborious tasks so she can ogle him as he works. And you, in the pool, have been watching me this entire time, working."

"Sounds more like a porn trope."

"Well, it's that too."

"Oh?"

"No."

"Then, go on, pool boy. Finish your tasks." Grimmjow smirked before taking a drink. Sighing through my nose, I went back to the branch and set to work. I had already been sweating, and swinging the ax down onto the wood only made me sweat more. I'd already taken my shirt off earlier, so I was just going to have to deal with this for now.

I was soon craving the shower that would follow this.

"You missed a spot!" Grimmjow hollered.

"I'm chopping wood, not cleaning, you ass!" I shouted back, pulling the ax from the branch to swing it again. "You're so much nicer when you're sleeping." I popped off.

"I heard that!"

"Good!"

~

"Yui said she's bringing her cousin with her, you better behave." I looked right at Grimmjow while drying my hair with a towel. He clicked his tongue at me, and I pointed. "I mean it. I will compel you to behave if I have to."

"Bore me to death, why don't you?"

"I just might." Pushing open the back door, I let Dagur run out and dropped my towel to my shoulders. "Hey, how are you with alcohol? Daniel's bringing booze to go with the barbecue."

"Doesn't do shit. Who the fuck is Daniel?"

"I do have more than just two friends, you know."

"Shock."

"Grimmjow, sit." I heard a thump followed by low growling. "We still have some time before I have to start cooking. Do you want me to make you do chores in that time?"

"Fuck you."

"I didn't think so." Checking the time, I slid the towel off of my shoulders. "I should go ahead and start the fire, though." I muttered before going to put away the towel.

Going out to the firepit, I stacked the kindling in with leaves before pulling out the lighter. Holding the small flame close to the leaves, they caught fire. I gently blew on the little fire to feed it as it slowly spread to the sticks.

I tended to the fire to make sure it wouldn't go out, steadily adding more sticks to burn until there was a strong flame rising from the firepit.

"You got a phone call." Grimmjow called out from the back door. "Your little girlfriend is on her way."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes.

"Why were you even answering my phone?"

"'Cause there's caller ID and I don't give a shit about pissing you off." Looking back over my shoulder, I saw the demon leaning on the doorway with his arms crossed. "You know what? Maybe I should send your nudes to your friends." His gaze dropped as one of his hands lifted to show he had my cellphone.

"I don't have nudes, you jackass."

"They don't know that." Grimmjow stood up, and I saw him fiddling on my phone while his other hand was on his hip.

"What are you doing?"

"Making nudes."

"....What?"

"Making nudes." He then pulled the waistband of his sweatpants outward and aimed the phone down. There was a flash of light, and my eyes widened.

"Stop!" I scrambled to my feet, and the demon got a Chesire grin while taking another photo. "Grimmjow!" He then bolted from the door while maniacally laughing. He ran so quickly to the living room with me chasing after him, and then vaulted over the couch to avoid me. "I fucking swear!"

"Who should I send 'em to first, huh?!" He called back to me as I chased him up the stairs.

"Delete them!"

"How about your little girlfriend? She'll be mighty impressed, Wynter!" He burst into another fit of laughter while waving the phone.

"No!" I managed to corner him at the end of the hall, but with cat-like grace, he jumped right over my head and ran back down the hall. "You fucker!"

"Oooh, how about piss-boy?! Make him _really_ jealous!"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"You literally can't, little rabbit!" Grimmjow laughed, turning to face me while waving the phone to taunt. "I'll just send 'em to all your contacts. How's that?"

"Don't you dare." I pointed at him.

"It's just the 'Send All' option, right?" He looked at the phone's screen with amusement on his features while I was panting from running back and forth through the house. Wait....why was I even chasing him?

"Grimmjow, give me my phone." I commanded, and his grin fell as his hand shot out in my direction. His arm was shaking as he tried to fight the compulsion, and I snatched my phone from his hand. I saw my home screen and went to the photo album to delete his pictures. "Grimmjow, sit." I quickly said when he looked like he was going to snatch the phone back.

I then paused.

I'd have to see the photos to delete them.

"It just dawned on ya, didn't it?" Grimmjow gave a shit-eating grin. "Go on, little rabbit. Delete the photos."

"You're so immature."

"Try not to stare too much."

"Please, it wouldn't be the first dick I've seen. I mean, I'm looking at one right now." I popped off while looking him dead in the eye, and his eyebrow twitched as he snarled. Tapping on the camera album, the photos loaded. I then rolled my eyes as my shoulders slumped. "You fucking asshole."

Grimmjow cracked up, knowing the photos he took were just of his boxers and nothing more than that. I then paused and looked back at my phone screen.

"Wait, are those-"

"I don't have any human clothes, what did you expect?"

"I'm gonna have to get you your own clothes, aren't I?" I sighed while pinching the bridge of my nose. "Whatever, I'll just deal with this later." Quickly deleting the two photos, I pocketed the device. There was a knock at the door then, and my gaze drifted to it. "Go put some more sticks in the fire. _Only_ a handful." I pointed at Grimmjow while going to the door.

The demon wandered to the back yard, and I opened the front door.

"Yui, welcome!" I smiled, and she handed me a box of cookies.

"Hey. Wynter, this is my cousin, Ichigo. Ichigo, this is Wynter."

"Pleasure to meet you." The taller man with bright orange hair politely nodded to me with a smile.

"You, too. Come on in." I stepped back while opening the door wider. However, as soon as the brown-eyed man passed me, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end until he got further away while following Yui. Furrowing my brows, I stared at the back of his head while shutting the door.

"I hope the cookies are the right kind for the barbecue."

"Any cookies are." I chuckled, bringing them to the kitchen island to set them down. "I was just about to take the meat out to the fire, too."

"Sweet." Yui grinned. "Is the roomie showing up?"

"Yeah, he's out back tending to the fire."

"Should I warn Gary?"

"He'll behave this time." Getting the tray of marinated meat, I maneuvered around the two guests and went for the back door. "So, Ichigo, any certain ways you like your food?"

"Uh, no. I'm not a picky eater." He waved his hand.

"All right, then. Wait, you're not vegetarian, are you? Because most of dinner is meat."

"No, I eat meat."

"Okay, good. Didn't want anyone left out." I chuckled, but again, as soon as I passed him specifically, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. So Yui's cousin had a lot of spiritual energy unlike her....

"Are we the first ones here?" Yui asked as we stepped into the backyard.

"Yup. The others should start showing up soon, though." I replied while seeing Grimmjow poke the fire with a stick. He then visibly tensed before his nose was in the air and twitching. _'Oh, please tell me a demon isn't about to crash my barbecue.'_ I mentally groaned.

But then Grimmjow's feral, blue eyes shot in our direction and locked onto Ichigo. His face twisted into a vicious snarl as he shot to his feet.

"Kurosaki!" He roared with his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"Oh, fuck!" I quickly shoved the tray into Yui's hands as she looked absolutely baffled.

"Shit!" Ichigo hissed under his breath, and for a brief moment, it was like time slowed as I got between the demon and Yui's cousin. I didn't know what exactly was going on, but I'd never seen Grimmjow this angry. The two also seemed to know each other and not in a good way.

"Hey! Hey, calm done!" I yelled over the growling as I tried to push the demon back. He was barely even budging, and I could see his teeth sharpening. He was close to transforming, but Yui was right there as well as Ichigo. Grabbing the back of the demon's head, I yanked him down. "Grimmjow, stop!" I said to where only he could hear me, and he froze.

The growling even stopped as relief flooded my veins.

"Is....Is everything okay?" Yui asked with concern clear in her voice.

"Fine. You want to tell me how you know him?" My attention turned to Ichigo as I still had a hold on the demon. The man looked rather shocked while his mouth was hanging open.

"Uh.... I.... We met in high school. Didn't get along." He was clearly lying because no way in Hell was this demon ever in high school. He knew I knew he was lying too, given the nature of the blue-haired man.

"Grimmjow, follow me." I commanded, then grabbed his wrist to drag him into the house. "We'll be right back." I smiled at Yui, who still looked baffled, and took the demon to where he couldn't even see into the backyard. "What the _fuck_ is going on?!"

"Nothing. Just got a score to settle." Grimmjow snarled and took a step forward.

"Uh-uh." I put a hand onto his chest to push him back. "You are _not_ going back out there if you can't keep your shit under control. That's Yui's _cousin_."

"He's a fucking _exorcist_." The demon growled.

"Exorcist?!"

" _Yes_."

"How the Hell does he know you? I thought you just killed the exorcists you-" I cut myself off as he was looking down at me with such an angry expression. His heart was beating with fury beneath my palm, and my gaze dropped to his chest. "He's the one that gave you the scar."

"Yes, he is. Now I'm gonna tear him to shreds-"

"Grimmjow, stop." He froze again. "I want you to listen to me." Grabbing his face, I made him look at me. "You can't do that. You know you can't do that. You do _anything_ to him, and you'll have the cops all over this place."

"You think I care about some fucking-"

"They'll try to take you away, dumbass. You're bound to this property, what happens when they force you off it? You fight back to stay here, and it'll only make it all worse. You hide from them, then I'll be the one taken. It's not just your ass on the line here, Grimmjow." I paused while looking at his face to see if what I was saying was getting through to him.

He still looked furious, but he wasn't baring his fangs anymore.

"Now, if you can't handle this, stay in the house." I dropped my hands from his face and his expression changed.

"Where the fuck are you going?"

"Back outside. I can't just stay in here."

"Like fuck you're going back out there without me."

"I'm not a demon. He won't do anything to me."

"But _he_ is." Grimmjow grabbed my wrist while looking at me with a serious expression.

"What?"

"Kurosaki is half-demon. If that part of him gets the scent of your power, there's no guarantee it won't try to get you."

"But you said he's an exorcist?"

" _And_ half-demon. How else do you think he possibly had the power to fuckin' scar _me?_ " Grimmjow lowly growled. "You're not going anywhere near him without me."

"Then control yourself."

"Someone want to fill me in on what's going on?" Another voice spoke up, and I turned to see Ichigo in the hall. Except, my eyes quickly landed on a glint of metal beside his leg.

He had a katana.

Where the Hell did he get it from? He clearly didn't have a sword when he had arrived.

Grimmjow's growl was like a rumbling storm as he looked at the orange-haired man. Ichigo shifted on his feet, raising his katana to prepare for an attack, but that only made the demon growl more.

"Quit it, you two!" I rose my voice. "Yui is right outside and this is _my_ god damned house! You! Put that thing down." I pointed at Ichigo and he actually looked shocked.

"You've got to be kidding me, you know what he is!"

"You are a _guest_ in _my_ house. I don't have to let you stay here."

"That demon needs to be exorcised-"

"I know. ....I'm working on it."

"....What?"

"It's a long story. Look, just lower the sword, you're only pissing him off more."

"He's a _demon!_ You can't seriously be protecting him."

"From what he says, you're not entirely human either. And I'm not protecting him, I'm protecting you. I'm the only thing keeping him from ripping you apart, so put the fucking sword down." Ichigo's gaze hardened as his jaw clenched, but he let go of the sword, and it turned to smoke.

"You know his real name, don't you? There's no other way he'd just back down."

"I do."

"What is it?"

"None of your fucking business." Grimmjow snarled.

"You said you were working on exorcising him, meaning you're an exorcist, right? Sharing a demon's true name keeps us _all_ safer."

"Pantera is mine to deal with. I've got this under control."

"You can't possibly-"

"Just fuck off." The demon stood closer behind me while glaring at Ichigo.

"Will you shut up? I'm trying to deal with this."

"There's no way you have _him_ under control. Pantera _will_ kill you the second he has the chance. He's too dangerous to-"

"Oh! Oh, wait, I've got a solution to this." I waved my finger as my eyes widened. "Look, I honestly mean it when I say I have this under control. I know more about this asshole than what's documented."

"What?"

"Just watch this." Raising my hand, I reached up and began to scratch under Grimmjow's jaw. Like a flip of a switch, his growls turned into deep purrs as he leaned into it.

Ichigo's face looked like he was experiencing multiple emotions at once, the most prevalent one being bewilderment. To emphasize my statement even more, I lowered my hand a little bit and the demon followed until he finally snapped out of it and smacked my hand away.

"You little fucker!"

"....You have _got_ to be kidding me." Ichigo repeated.

"No. Look, I've been with Pantera for _months_ and I'm still alive, that's got to tell you that I know what I'm doing. So, when I say I can deal with him, I mean it."

"Months?!"

"Long story."

"This is fucking crazy." Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. "You know I'm going to have to report this."

"What? To who?"

"....The Soul Society?"

"Soul Society?"

"Think of it as the head office for exorcists." Grimmjow explained. "Wynter isn't an official exorcist."

"You have to get officiated for that?" I questioned, and Ichigo ran a hand down his face.

"Okay, you show to _somehow_ have a level of control over Pantera, which is unprecedented, no one documented has even learned the name of any of the current Espada, but you're telling me you managed all of this _without_ being a member of the Soul Society?"

"....Pretty much." Glancing to Grimmjow, I then focused on Ichigo. "We should probably talk about this later. Yui is just out there by herself."

"Actually, Gary's here now."

"Fuckin' piss-boy." The demon grumbled, and I just knew he rolled his eyes.

"....I'm sorry, 'piss-boy'?"

"Pantera....peed on Gary."

"You nearly kill me, but now you're just.... _peeing_ on people?" Ichigo furrowed his brows while waving his hand.

"What, feeling left out? C'mere and I'll piss on you too, fucker."

"Will you _stop?!_ " I swatted Grimmjow, and he recoiled. "Ichigo, if you want to talk more about this, it's going to have to wait. Okay?"

"Yeah." He seemed to hesitate before taking a step back. "Right."

"I better get something real fucking nice for not tearing into that bastard."

"Like what? Catnip?" I scoffed while crossing my arms.

"I'm not a fucking housecat." He growled as he grabbed my hips and yanked me back. "And I do mean something real nice, you hear me?" Grimmjow licked up the back of my neck while purring.

"Could you _not_ right now?" I elbowed him back as he was chuckling.

"Right now?"

"You know what I mean. Just come on, jeez." I huffed and went to the backyard. Since I had rushed away with Grimmjow in tow, Yui had taken it upon herself to start grilling dinner so it wouldn't be late. "Sorry about all of that, I'll take over from here."

"No problem. Everything good now?" Yui's gaze drifted to Grimmjow and Ichigo.

"It's fine." The orange-haired man nodded.

"He give you a tough time, too?" Gary chuckled, taking a drink from his beer that he'd gotten from Daniel since he was here now as well.

"Oh, uh, no." Ichigo put on a smile while rubbing the back of his neck. "We actually used to go to school together and, uh, apparently not everything stayed in the past. Wynter's a good mediator, though, so it's all fine now."

"Really? Small world. Who would have thought you went to school with a friend of Wynter's uncle." _'Please, Gary._ Don't _question it.'_ I thought while setting a log into the firepit. "You know, their uncle actually renovated most of this house. Did you help?" Gary turned to Grimmjow, and the blue-haired man had his arms crossed with a displeased look on his face.

"Some of it."

"Oh, what parts? Maybe you can get a job in construction if your handiwork is good enough."

"I did some of the demolition. And what makes you think I need a job?" Grimmjow's eyes narrowed.

"Sorry, I just figured with you needing to crash here it was because you were broke and between jobs." Gary awkwardly laughed. "So, uh, what do you do then?" The demon glanced around the yard before looking back at Gary.

"Landscaping."

"Oh, did you do the work on the yard? It looks great." Yui smiled.

"No, Wynter did."

"All by themself?" Gary made a face.

"It gave me something to do." I stated while flipping the meat. "He was also at work."

"So what put you here if you've got a job like that?" Daniel asked while opening a beer.

"The apartment building wasn't up to code. All the tenants had to move." I explained while waving my hand since it looked like Grimmjow was blanking for a believable lie.

"Oh, that sucks."

"Hello?" I answered my phone after it rang.

"I'm at the door."

"It's unlocked. Go through the living room and past the kitchen. Follow the hall and you'll find us."

"Gotcha!"

"Was that Veronica?" Gary asked.

"Yup."

"How many people are you having over?" Grimmjow looked at me.

"Just a few. Veronica's got the rest of 'em."

"You not like crowds, bud?" Daniel smiled before taking a drink. "It's just a little get-together." I saw the demon's eye twitch, but he kept a straight face.

"I was just wondering."

"We brought Rosé!" Veronica grinned, waving the two bottles of wine in her hands.

"Oh, that smells so good!" Judy's eyes landed on the firepit where I was grilling dinner.

"Your house is amazing, Wynter! Shit, can we move in?" Alex chuckled, looking at the yard and pool.

"Someone already beat you to it." Yui popped off while looking at Grimmjow.

"Oh, damn! Wynter, when did you score this hunk?" Veronica was grinning, but Gary choked on his drink.

"Housemate! He's a _housemate!_ " I quickly said.

"Bullshit, I know your type." Veronica pointed at me with one of the bottles of wine, and Grimmjow seemed to perk up while looking at me. "Every one of your partners has been a hardass that's actually a softie. Look at him- Broad, beautiful, muscular, and wearing make-up." She gestured to the markings under his eyes.

"Veronica, chill. He's really just a housemate." Daniel laughed, taking one of the bottles from her to set it in the cooler.

"Yeah, Veronica. And he's _definitely_ not my type. Not even the same species." I grumbled.

"Oh, Hun, that's _harsh_."

"He's missing the 'softie' part." Gary stated. "Trust me."

"I see how it is. Boo, are you an asshole?" Veronica had a playful tone while leaning on Grimmjow.

"....Yeah."

"Oh! And he's honest? Gotta admire that much." She laughed while handing Daniel the other bottle. "Don't worry about that too much, Boo. We got some spots to fill in this medley." Veronica pat his shoulder, being friendly with the demon, but it looked like it was actually irritating him.

"So how do you know Wynter?" Alex questioned.

"I'm a friend of her late uncle's."

"You knew Jordan? Good guy." Judy stated, and the 'good guy' comment made Grimmjow's eye twitch again. He was really holding himself back in this crowd....

~

"Hey."

"Hm?"

"Thanks. For not totally fucking up today, I mean." I said while running my fingers through Grimmjow's long hair. After everyone had left with Ichigo and Alex being the designated drivers, the 'really nice thing' Grimmjow got was cuddling.

I guess it wasn't too surprising the demon quite enjoyed the warmth of the contact.

We were sprawled out on the couch with the TV on, and the demon was halfway laying on me while purring as I pet him. Grimmjow had his head resting on my chest so that he could also watch TV, and Dagur was curled up on the floor right in front of the couch.

"Are you drunk?"

"No. Ass. I'm trying to thank you." The demon then lifted his head and sniffed at my face. "The Hell are you doing?"

"You're definitely buzzed. I can smell it on your breath."

"Forget it." I rolled my eyes and looked back at the TV. "Next time I just won't thank you for shit."

"Like I care." Grimmjow scoffed before laying his head back down. "I don't, just to be clear."

"Right." I rubbed behind his ear, feeling the vibration of his purr like a low motor. "So then....do you want to actually tell me about the scar now since I know where it came from?"

"We fought, nearly killed each other, survived, that's it."

"Okay, but it's fucking huge."

"The bastard's demon half is Arrancar. Mix that with exorcist abilities and magick....he's on level with an Espada."

"At least up to the sixth if you both lost like that."

"Who said I fucking lost?"

"He's still alive. You're still alive. Doesn't look like a victory on either end." I stated. "Can he shape-shift like you do?"

"Yes. ....Why are you so damn curious about Kurosaki?"

"I need to know what I'm dealing with if he gets in the way of my plans. I told you, _I'm_ sending your ass to Hell or killing you. Mr. Savior Complex isn't gonna come swoop in and steal that."

"Awe, little rabbit. Have you marked me as your prey?" Grimmjow chuckled before licking my cheek. "How sweet."

"Why do you have to be gross?!" I snarled, grabbing him by the horns to push his face away from mine. He was laughing as those pearly fangs of his were flashing around. "What the Hell is so funny?"

"You." He looked down at me and licked his lips. "So smart, but so stupid. I didn't think you had that kind of ego to not just let a more experienced exorcist try to get rid of me, little rabbit." Grimmjow then brought his face closer to mine. "Or is it because you actually _want_ me here?"

"You do have your uses, I'll admit, but no. I just want to do this myself. Call it a vendetta."

"A vendetta? How sweet of you to hold a grudge against me."

"You won't think it's sweet when I'm locking your ass in Hell."

"Do you really think you'll ever be able to?" Grimmjow smirked with amusement in his eyes. "Not even Kurosaki could kill me, your uncle couldn't even fully seal me, and you? You're just a little rabbit that can barely swing a sword." He slowly wrapped his hand around my throat. "You go on and on about how you have the time to learn, but do you honestly believe that? Your pulse is already racing, and I haven't even done anything."

I managed to swallow while those blue eyes were locked onto me, and his grip slightly tightened.

"You know I could end you so easily. You like to play with danger, don't you, little rabbit?"

"I'm not 'playing' with anything."

"Well....I certainly am." He then pat my cheek before laughing.


	12. Layers

"The office is back here." I pointed while going down the hall.

"And where is he?"

"The office."

"You even have a dog?" Ichigo questioned while Dagur was walking right next to him to get his ear scratched.

"Yup."

"I.... How have you done this? Surely you know how Pantera is the most dangerous of the Espada. But you just....had him at a barbecue." He was making a face, and I chuckled.

"I'm smart. I figure things out pretty quickly, and that really saved my ass." I waved one hand while opening the office door. "But my uncle is the one I have to thank for getting the time to figure things out."

"Strawberry bitch." Grimmjow popped off as soon as he saw Ichigo. He was laying across the desk while munching on Goldfish, his tail lazily curling and uncurling as he had his head propped up on his hand.

"Just ignore him." Rounding the desk, I grabbed the chair and paused. "Since you're here for answers, I want a few of my own."

"That's fine."

"How come he knows your name but doesn't compel you? Do you two have a deal or something?"

"No." Ichigo quickly said.

"It's because he's a half-breed." Grimmjow glared. "His demon half is strong enough to break the commands on his human half. I'd need his demon half's name to actually compel him. ....Unlike you." His gaze drifted to me as I pulled the chair around the desk.

"Save it." Patting the chair, I then looked at Ichigo and leaned against the desk while crossing my arms. "And before you ask, he can't compel me because we have a deal."

"You made a deal with him?!"

"Trust me, I know how it seems, but he has to 'give me what I want'. I put it in an 'I want' phrase, and it's good. I keep that to a minimum though, for obvious reasons."

"How'd you manage that?" Ichigo furrowed his brows while sitting down.

"Offered my soul, then gave the clause that he couldn't kill me or have any part in my death. I plan on dealing with him before he can collect."

"How did you get him to listen to that?"

"Remember when I said my uncle gave me time? Yeah, he sealed Pantera in the house. His body in the basement, his power in a book."

"And you _released_ him?!"

"Didn't have much of a choice, actually. Uncle Jordan couldn't seal him completely, so he was able to project himself out here." I explained while waving my hand. "He then figured out my name and compelled me to release his body."

"I didn't compel you to do everything."

"I don't need your two cents. Anyway, then with the deal, it was my soul and his power that I had to give him. So long as I did that, he had to honor the deal. Throughout that time, though, I was figuring out things about him. However, half that shit only applied to his projection, so it didn't really stick when he got his body back. But it was enough. Then, when I was destroying the book to release his power, I saw his name."

"How do you plan on getting rid of Pantera without being an official exorcist?"

"The greedy bastard doesn't want another demon to beat him to my soul. He's teaching me how to fight them to ensure he gets my soul if I can't kill him."

"You must have a lot of spiritual energy for him to want it that badly." Ichigo furrowed his brows again while looking at me.

"He says I do."

"And fighting back? How can you possibly manage that without a sanctioned weapon?"

"Sanctioned?"

"Forged by the Soul Society." Grimmjow rolled his eyes while popping some more Goldfish into his mouth.

"Oh. Pantera just helped me forge my own." I stated, and Ichigo paused before laughing."

"Right." His laughing stopped when I reached behind Grimmjow and lifted the katana from the desk. His face fell before he stood up and pointed to the sword.

"Do you mind?"

"Go ahead." Handing over the weapon, he scrutinized the sheath over the blade. Hearing the tinkle of the bell, he gently cupped it in his hand to look at it.

"I can't believe you just handed that to him." The demon grumbled. Ichigo and I both ignored him, and the other man wrapped his hand around the handle to draw the katana from the sheath to reveal the black and silver blade.

"You have no clue just what you have here, do you?"

"It's a katana."

"A katana forged with the power of an Espada. Where did you get the materials for this?"

"Blessed railroad spikes Uncle Jordan used to seal his body, then there were other demon powers sealed in books laying around."

"You've got to be shitting me." He muttered.

"What?"

"Wynter, your weapon was made from metal that sealed Pantera, and then used Pantera's power to take shape on top of the other demon powers and your own it used."

"Yeah. It's just a sword unless I learn how to use it, though." I glanced between him and the demon as I was putting together that Grimmjow didn't actually tell me everything about this weapon just from Ichigo's reaction.

"Do you remember how my own sword turned to smoke?"

"Yeah."

"With these weapons being forged using the wielder's spiritual energy, it can return to being just that. But it's more like it's being stowed away to be used again later. However, if you turn this katana back into energy, Pantera's energy in this sword will become a part of yours."

"Why is that different from the other demonic energy in the weapons?"

"Because he's an Arrancar of the Espada level." Ichigo sheathed the sword while looking at me. "If you don't know how to handle that, the destructive nature of Pantera could overwhelm you to insanity. Do you know how Arrancars come to be?"

"Soul cannibalism."

"Exactly."

"....The most powerful soul becomes the consciousness." I stated and turned to Grimmjow before smacking him on the thigh. "You ass! Why didn't you tell me about that?!"

"You're nowhere near dematerializing that fucking thing, didn't think I had to tell you until you got there." He then reared up while smirking and brushed his nose against my cheek. "But wouldn't you like a part of me inside you?"

"Definitely not." Shoving his face away, he chuckled before rolling back to dump more Goldfish into his mouth.

"This is so fucking weird." Ichigo muttered while looking at us.

"Tell me about it. I have to live with his annoying ass."

"So, let me get this straight. You tricked him into a deal to where he couldn't kill you in any way, then learned his name, basically gaining immunity, so he, what? Acts out in any way he can to somehow make up for it?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "Literally, that's exactly it. He'll knock shit off of counters, tables, and shelves. Break things, throw things, leave a mess, and make sexual advancements because apparently, the Destructo-Kitty is a hornball." I popped off before getting shoved off of the desk by Grimmjow's paw.

"I'm not a fucking 'kitty'." He snarled at me.

"Destructo-Pantera doesn't have the same ring to it."

"Hold on, can we back that up a second." Ichigo made a face while waving his finger in a winding motion. "He's a _what_ now?"

"Hornball. Pantera even claims to have made deals in the past exchanging sex for souls."

"Because I have."

"I can't fucking believe this." The orange-haired man ran a hand down his face. "Pantera is known for killing anything that moves, _especially_ if they have enough power to make him want their soul."

"He's got moods." I shrugged. "I mean, he doesn't need to eat, but there he is, snacking. And with his hatred for exorcists, I doubt he's gonna walk up to one and offer them sex. So, like I told you before, I know more about him than what's documented. Well, at least what was documented in the book Uncle Jordan left behind."

"Hey, put it in your books how Murcielago is a fuckin' prude. Seriously, I'm pretty sure he's _still_ a virgin."

"I'm not doing that."

"You're only saying that because you don't like him."

"Yeah, and because it's true. Dude's such a downer, no one would even bother."

"Anyway, back to the topic we were on. The sword? Is there anything else I should know?"

"Wielding it should be fine if you've already been doing that. If you start to feel like you're being affected by his energy though, call me."

"Why?"

"I can exorcise his energy if you absorbed any. Since I am the officiated exorcist that found this....arrangement you two have, it's my responsibility to keep an eye on how things go."

"You already reported it? I figured other exorcists would try something if they knew he's here."

"The Soul Society heads are split. Like I told you, it's unprecedented for someone to know an Espada's true name, and to live more or less 'safely' alongside one is hard to believe even when seeing it, let alone just hearing about it. Some of them want to see this play out, the others want to send him back to Hell."

"What, are we some kind of experiment?"

"Actually, yes. Pantera, the most impulsive and destructive Espada, is literally eating Goldfish on your office desk instead of ripping your throat out. It's very....strange."

"Oh, you mean 'cause he nearly killed you?"

"Yes, because he nearly fucking killed me."

"And I'll do it again, bitch. Just wait."

"I will turn the pool into holy water if you don't stop."

"Wynter.... How are you still alive?" Ichigo looked rather concerned.

"Because Pantera is a dumbass while I'm not." I said while raising my eyebrows. "I used his impulsivity against him."

"If you don't mind, could you tell me what exactly you've learned about Pantera in the time you've been together? No offense, but if you don't succeed in killing him, we're going to need all the information we can get."

"Well, as a projection, he can't be in direct sunlight, so he'll mainly come out at night or late evening when the sun is going down then. He also can't touch people in that state, but he can touch objects like their clothes or things in his surroundings. Uh, except if he has your name. That gives his projection the ability to touch you and compel you. And just like he can't touch you prior to that, you can't touch him."

"What about his clothes?"

"You can those, but as a projection, he looks like a black shadow with eyes, so you can't really tell what's what until your hand is on it." I explained. "He goes for psychological attacks in this state, as well as throwing things to cause harm."

"Psychological?"

"Scares you shitless, keeps you awake at night so you can't sleep. When he has his body, he goes for more direct attacks, as you know. And, as his looks imply, he shares a lot of common characteristics with felines. He likes to nap in warm, sunny places, has a tendency to be on top of things," I gestured to Grimmjow since he was still on the desk. "his pupils dilate in the same manner as a feline as well. If you pet certain places, it'll cause him to momentarily go into a state of, I guess the best description is 'bliss', and start purring. As far as I know, those places are under his jaw, his ears, and just behind them."

Grimmjow didn't like me exposing that fact and began to lowly growl. Ichigo gave him a look of caution, but when he saw me not react, he tried to relax.

"His eyes and his tail are also good indicators of his emotions, so if you know a bit about feline body language, you can get the gist of his. However, don't rely on that since he's not actually an animal. Pantera is still oftentimes unpredictable."

"....Does his tail puff up?"

"I actually don't know, I've never seen him scared. Does your tail puff up?"

"Fuck off."

"Okay, either that means yes, or he doesn't know. Oh, yeah. Some of the stuff I've found out, he didn't even know he did. Like the petting making him purr. Because he's been basically fighting and fucking his entire existence, that doesn't exactly give the chance to discover these things."

"Right." Ichigo then leaned on the armrest of the chair. "And how did _you_ discover that?"

"Thought he was Dagur when I was half-asleep and pet him."

"Uh-huh. And with the dog? How does that work?"

"Dagur will bark if he senses danger from Pantera, but if he doesn't, there's no big deal. They actually play fetch sometimes." The man made a face while glancing at Grimmjow. "As in he throws the ball and the dog fetches it."

"Oh."

"You thought _I_ fetched?!" Grimmjow threw the bowl he'd been eating out of at Ichigo. "I'm not a fucking house pet!" He bared his fangs while growling.

"That's another thing. He has a complex about being compared to a pet or housecat specifically. I also keep that to a minimum except for the occasional crack at him. Also, I'm not sure if it's just me, but he likes to compare me to a prey animal, which I assume has a part in his complex and the fact that he has the features of a predator."

"I don't have a complex!"

"Then why are you upset?" Quirking up a brow at the demon, he looked at me for a second before turning his back on me.

"Just shut the fuck up already."

"Anything else?"

"Not that I don't think you already know. Having actually fought him, you'd know more about that side of him than I would." I said, completely leaving out how the demon liked to cuddle. I highly doubted they'd use that information for anything, and I didn't want to admit to Ichigo that I'd cuddle with the demon that nearly killed him.

Even if it was to placate Grimmjow while also giving me something out of it, it wasn't something I'd admit willy nilly. Not to mention, Grimmjow had a complex about that too and just might try to kill Ichigo to make sure no one outside of the house knew he liked to cuddle.

"Wait, no, there's one other thing." I pointed, and Grimmjow's ear twitched. "With Arrancar coming from human souls, I'm thinking _that's_ why Pantera isn't so one-dimensional with destruction being his sole purpose of life. It'd be best to not forget that. I can use his impulsivity against him at times, but he does learn. The same trick won't always work. I think it's also safe to say the same for the other Espada."

"Why just the Espada?"

"Pantera explained how the lower Arrancar are driven by their desire to fill the missing piece, so much so it's the cause of the cannibalism. If that desire is so strong it _makes_ them eat one another, they're more predictable and, well, basic."

"You really should join the Soul Society, Wynter. We could use someone like you."

"Fuck off, strawberry bitch. This one's mine." Grimmjow lowly growled while grabbing the back of my shirt.

"Told you he was greedy. And hates exorcists."

"Just how much spiritual energy do you have to make him so territorial of your soul?"

"I honestly don't know."

"It's none of your fucking business, Kurosaki. Keep your half-breed hands off my soul."

"That's not even remotely why I asked. I don't eat souls."

"I didn't ask if _you_ did."

" _He_ doesn't either."

"I'm sorry, why are you two talking like there's two of you?" I questioned as my brows furrowed.

"Because there is." Grimmjow pointed at the orange-haired man. "It's why you need two names instead of one to compel him. The fucker's demon half is a separate bastard in the same body."

"He's under control now." Ichigo said while glaring at Grimmjow.

"Yeah, right. That fucker is the only reason you're even alive. You're just his bitch."

"Okay, you need to stop." I crossed my arms while looking over my shoulder.

"Tell me I'm wrong, Kurosaki. You get a whiff of strong spiritual power, and he's right there under your skin."

"You're wrong. I'm not the same as I was then." Ichigo looked upset, but he was managing to keep a steady tone. Grimmjow was looking the man in the eye when he snatched up my hand and pricked my palm with his claw.

"Ow!" I tried to jerk my hand back, but the demon's hold was stronger. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and my gaze shot to Ichigo. He was suddenly on the edge of the seat, gripping the armrests so tightly that his knuckles were white. His sclera had gone black while his irises were bright orange, and Grimmjow licked my hand to heal the small prick.

"That was barely anything. You really think you're so in control that you wouldn't put Wynter in danger? _He_ doesn't give a shit that _you_ don't eat souls. This little fucker has a lot of spiritual power they can't even access, and will only get stronger the more they train. You shouldn't be around Wynter."

"And you should? You literally _plan_ on eating Wynter's soul."

"I have this soul through a deal. I also _don't_ lose my shit just from the scent of their blood."

"I didn't-"

"Ichigo, you should leave." I spoke up before swallowing. "I.... Pantera's right. If you nearly pounced on me for a drop of blood, then there's no way you can be around me to 'oversee' anything." Ichigo looked at me, his eyes now brown, and his jaw clenched.

"I'm sorry. But, Wynter," He stood to his full height with a serious expression on his face. "you are _not_ safer with Pantera."

"I actually am. He literally can't kill me."

"I wouldn't-" Ichigo cut himself off before sighing. "Look, I'll deal with this. Just....try to stay safe." He said lowly before leaving the office.

"What if his reaction was worse, you ass?"

"I'm here. Nothing would have happened to you." Grimmjow's tone sounded like he wasn't lying, but that didn't exactly make me feel better. "....You're shaking."

"I thought he was going to fuckin' eat me." I snatched my hand away from the demon.

"Not before I do." He smirked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Just fuck off."

~

"Oi."

"What?"

"Get me a phone."

"Why the Hell would you want a phone?" I questioned while flipping the page in my book as I sat on the couch. "You don't have any friends to call."

"I want to get on the internet."

"Yeah, no."

"Why not?"

"You're literally a demon, first of all. Secondly, you'd get a virus so fast on the damn thing from going to porn sites." I popped off, and Grimmjow clicked his tongue at me. "Just watch TV."

"There's nothing on." He groaned while stretching out his legs over my lap.

"Put in a movie then."

"You do it."

"Lazy ass."

"Bitchy ass."

"You've got two perfectly good legs, use them." Grimmjow clicked his tongue but didn't even budge from his spot on the couch as a commercial came on. He left his paws right in my lap, probably in an attempt to annoy me, but it'd take more than that.

"You're so boring."

"You're so annoying." I said as my gaze dropped to the paws under my book. Just like a big cat, they were adorable but attached to a vicious creature. But....did his paws do the same thing a cat's did when squished?

Glancing at Grimmjow, I saw he was staring at the TV with a bored look on his face. He switched the channel with the remote, and I looked back at his paws.

I was going to risk it all....in the name of discovery.

Reaching down with one hand casually, I grabbed Grimmjow's paw and pushed against the middle pad. The pad was actually rather soft, and his claws slid out while looking like black hooks. Grimmjow was staring at me now with a 'what the fuck' look on his face, and I had to lean on the armrest while covering my face with my book.

"This is bullshit." I muttered. "Why the fuck are they so cute?!"

"Hah?!" Grimmjow jerked his paw from my hand. "The fuck are you on?!"

"You have toe beans. Big, soft, toe beans. It's too damn cute. Why the fuck does a demon like _you_ have something so adorable?"

"Fuck off, you weird little shit!" Grimmjow rose his voice, shifting on the couch to reposition his paws away from me. "The fuck's your problem?!" Looking at him from over the book, I saw him tucking his feet underneath himself before curling his tail around the side of his leg. "Huh?!" He looked over his shoulder at me with pink dusting his cheeks.

"You get embarrassed over the weirdest things."

"I'm not embarrassed, you little shit!"

"You're literally tucking your paws under yourself and blushing." I pointed at him, and his eyes narrowed at me.

"Fuck you, I'm not embarrassed."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"It's hot in here."

"You're a demon, and the A/C is on."

"So?!"

"Just admit you're embarrassed."

"Fuck off, I'm not."

"You definitely are."

"Not."

"Look at me then."

"No."

"Because you're embarrassed."

"Because I don't want to look at your stupid face."

"Big, scary, demon man has cutsie, widdle toe beans."

"Shut the fuck up, you annoying little shit." He lowly growled.

"You're so quiet when you walk because your pads are so soft. It makes sense."

"They're not soft! Or _cutsie!_ I could tear you to shreds, fucker!"

"Can't tear me to shreds if you can't even look at me."

"....I just don't feel like it."

"Right. Sure." I smirked while opening my book back up to read.


	13. Come be lonely with me

Closing the door behind me, I turned the locks before flipping through the mail. Half of it looked to be spam, a couple of bills, and one was a letter from an address I didn't recognize. Tucking the other envelopes under my arm as I walked up the stairs, I ripped it open. The letter looked like it was made using a type-writer, oddly enough.

I sighed through my nose when I saw it was from the Soul Society.

Then I rolled my eyes when I saw they referred to me as 'Pantera's keeper' rather than by my name. Reading through it, it seemed like a summons to become an officiated exorcist. They were offering resources and assistance, but with the wording, it was more like a contract to let them into my business.

There was even mention of my uncle seeing as he was a former member of the Soul Society. However, that didn't make me want to have anything to do with them. Sure, resources would be nice to better learn how to exorcise demons, but so far, Grimmjow's lessons were doing well enough. Then there were also the books in the office left by Uncle Jordan.

Folding the letter back up, I tucked it under my arm and grabbed a bill to open as I went into my room.

"Soul Society wants me to join them." I stated, and Grimmjow's face whipped in my direction.

"Fuck no."

"Relax, I didn't say I was going to." Waving him off, he sat up on my bed as I stood beside it. Checking the next bill, I glanced over it. "I know you hate exorcists, but is the Soul Society actually helpful? To humans, I mean. Obviously not helpful to your kind."

"Maybe." He had a tone, making me look up at him from over the letter. "I mean, they do save you pathetic mortals."

"Why didn't they save my uncle?"

"....He didn't tell them about me."

"Yeah, but why?" My brows furrowed as I looked back at the bill in my hands. "It doesn't make sense why he'd keep not only you being sealed here hidden, but also your name. Why would he leave the house, and you, to me to deal with? I'm not an exorcist, and you're an extremely powerful demon. That sounds like he was trying to set me up to die."

"Not if he knew how powerful you were."

"Which wouldn't do me any good not knowing how to use it." I pointed. "Yes, I'm smart, but that'll only get me so far. _What_ was he thinking to do all this?"

"He might not have been thinking. Fucker was old as dirt."

"No, Uncle Jordan had to have a reason. I just don't know what it is yet. But that brings me back to what I asked. If the Soul Society is good for humanity, why would Uncle Jordan, as a member, keep you a secret from them? Even Ichigo said that sharing your name keeps them _all_ safer, but he didn't even give them that." Grimmjow groaned as his shoulders slumped, and he rolled his eyes.

"Fuck the Soul Society, and fuck Kurosaki."

"Man, I knew you were a hornball, but damn. Don't you think that's a bit much?"

"Not like that, you ass!" The demon snarled, and I chuckled before he grabbed the front of my shirt. Grimmjow yanked me onto the bed and coiled around me like a snake. "Just shut up about them!"

"Is someone cranky? Do you need a nap?" I teased, but the demon tightened his hold with his arm around my neck.

"You're just asking to get killed, little rabbit." His fangs were right by my face in a warning, except....he froze when I looked at him.

"You made me drop my mail." I stated, but he was awfully quiet as his brows knit together. "What?"

"What?"

"You're making a weird face while staring at me, so what the fuck is it?"

"....The scar on your mouth. What's it from?"

"Oh." Reaching up, I gently touched the scar. "I actually don't really remember it much. I crashed my bike as a kid when a big dog ran out in front of me." I explained as Grimmjow's hold relaxed a bit. "That's all I remember until I woke up in the ER getting stitches."

"Are you sure it was a dog?"

"What?"

"Are you sure it was a dog?" He repeated, and I got what he was meaning. He kept making comments about how he was surprised I'd lived this long without being eaten by a demon.

"Actually, knowing what I do know, I'm not sure. From what I remember, it _looked_ like a dog." I then quirked up a brow at Grimmjow. "Why are you so curious about it?"

"Just wondering why the little rabbit had a scar. Guess I wasn't the first to try and take a bite."

"That's only _if_ it wasn't actually a dog."

"Mm."

"Okay, _now_ what is it? You're still giving me that weird look."

"Wanna fuck?"

"No."

"Your loss."

"Oh, my- Just let me go already." I huffed while trying to pry myself free. It wasn't easy with his arms and legs wrapped around me combined with his demonic strength.

"No."

"Yes."

"No." Grimmjow began to chuckle at my failed efforts. "Look at the little rabbit struggle. I just might have a taste." His tongue ran over his sharp teeth.

"Piss off!" I snarled, but he ignored me and licked from my jaw to my forehead. "Gross!" I groaned, and it sent Grimmjow into a fit of laughter. It was a genuine laugh unlike his crazed hysterics when he was fighting other demons in the yard.

Why did he have to be so attractive?

"You're ridiculous." I scoffed while shaking my head.

"And you're delicious." Grimmjow smirked as he bumped his head against mine.

"Too bad. You're not even close to getting my soul."

"Yet."

"Keep on dreaming."

"We both know which outcome is more likely, little rabbit." Grimmjow purred. "That soul is mine. And I'm going to enjoy devouring it slowly just to savor the taste, and so you feel the agony of it."

"How nice of you." I said flatly, trying to ignore how he said something so daunting while purring with delight.

"Trust me, if you were me, you'd get it. The fucking scent of your power alone.... How it _feels_ when you release that power. I want all of it. I want it so badly." His mouth was close to my throat now, and I wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't try to just bite me.

"Dude, chill. I can't tell if you're hungry or horny anymore." He paused before leaning his head back to look at me with a serious expression.

"It might be both."

"Might be?" I couldn't help but laugh. "Can you not even tell?" He suddenly grabbed my jaw to tilt my head back. Grimmjow licked up the side of my neck before I felt his breath on my ear.

"What's wrong with wanting both? Your body and soul, in the end, will both be mine." He purred while running a finger over my bottom lip. "Why not have some fun while you still can?"

"Because I'm not having sex with a demon that wants to literally rip me apart and eat my soul."

"So if I didn't want to do that, you would?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You're a demon."

"And? From how you're smelling, you really don't care about that."

"I'm not smelling like anything."

"Oh, you most certainly are, little rabbit. You're turned on. Why keep denying me when you clearly want me?"

"Unlike you, I'm not into fucking the enemy."

"Enemy?"

"I'm trying to kill you, remember? Or are you too brain-fried to remember that?" I popped off. "You also want to literally eat me. The doesn't exactly lead to bedroom fun. Well, not for me anyway since it does for you apparently."

"Then why do you keep getting turned on by me, little rabbit? Explain that."

"Because you're physically attractive, touching me, and saying things in reference to sex. It's just a physical reaction."

"Fine." The demon then kicked me off of the bed, and I hit the floor with a loud thump.

"Ow, what the fuck?!"

"If we're not fucking, then go make lunch, mortal."

"You don't even need to eat!"

"I want something to chew on." Grimmjow stated before grumbling something under his breath that I couldn't make out. Standing up, I saw he now had his face buried in a pillow while being stretched out over my bed. I was so tempted to flip the entire mattress to fling him off my bed, but I decided against it to not escalate things further.

Snatching my mail up, I looked at the demon again.

"Maybe you should try making your own damn food for once."

"Why do that when you're here?" His voice was muffled by the pillow, and I had the urge to strangle him. Huffing, I walked out of my room and went down the hall.

~

"I'm trying to work, what do you want?" I asked without pausing my typing while Grimmjow was crouched on the desk and staring at me.

"What makes you think I want something?"

"You've been staring at me with a rather intense look on your face. So what is it?"

"I'm just thinking." He replied, and I paused.

"Thinking? About what?"

"....How I'm going to eat your soul." Rolling my eyes, I went back to looking at my laptop.

"How nice." My tone was thick with sarcasm.

"It is."

"Keep it to yourself. I don't want the details."

"Wasn't gonna give any." Grimmjow stated but didn't stop staring at me. I couldn't tell if he was genuinely doing it to plan my ending, or just to annoy me. Trying to ignore the demon, I continued to work.

~

Chopping up some vegetables for fajitas, the rhythmic thunking of the knife hitting the wooden board filled the kitchen. Music also softly played from my phone on the island to give me something to listen to.

Hands snaked around my torso as Grimmjow set his chin on my shoulder. Taking a quick glance at him, I saw he had a bored expression on his face and was watching me cut the vegetables. Looking back to what I was doing, I scooted what had already been chopped to a corner of the cutting board.

"Nothing on the TV again?"

"Yeah."

"You _can_ read a book, you know."

"'S fucking boring."

"You can do chores."

"Fuck that."

"You're just a big man-baby." I scoffed. "Moody and won't even do dishes."

"There isn't even any dirty dishes."

"After dinner, there will be." I said, and the demon rolled his eyes. Grabbing a bell pepper, I began to cut it into thin slivers. Grimmjow grabbed one and sniffed at it before taking a bite.

The raw bell pepper crunched in his mouth, and I saw him reach for another piece.

"I need these for dinner, Grimmjow."

"Not all of 'em."

"Fine, you can have _these_." I slid a small pile to the side for him away from the rest. The demon continued to lean on me while munching on the bell pepper slices, and at one point he even began to softly purr. It was quiet and low, so I assumed he was simply content.

Thinking about it, it was both odd and to be expected how the demon was more....human, in a sense, than what that book made him out to be. There was clearly more to the Arrancar than just the drive for killing, and I knew that because of Grimmjow. He was considered the deadliest of them not because he was the strongest, he was just ranked sixth in the Espada, but because he was impulsive and didn't much care about what he tore apart. If it was in his path, he'd raze it to the ground.

But here he was, snacking on bell peppers while being cuddly.

The Arrancar came from human souls, so there _had_ to be humanity still within them. But with their lifestyles and how long they lived as demons, it was difficult to see it.

Maybe if exorcists could appeal to the Arrancar's humanity....

No, that was doubtful. Too much of a longshot to even bother with. Just because Grimmjow wasn't ripping my throat out now didn't mean much considering how he literally couldn't. The same did not apply to the other Arrancar. Time and patience would be needed to dig out the humanity in these demons, but that was impossible without such a special circumstance like I had.

But even so....I could use this chance to learn. If knowledge on Arrancar did make people safer, I'd learn what I could and pass it on.

~

"Dagur better be in the same condition as he is now when I come back, do you understand me?" I looked at Grimmjow with a stern expression while picking up my keys.

"Just stay here if you're so worried about it then."

"No can do." I bent down to pull my shoes on. "Even if I don't become a part of the Soul Society, I still have to fill out stupid paperwork listing me as an active exorcist."

"Why the fuck do you have to do that?"

"To keep from getting arrested by their justice force. If I'm at least registered, they can't charge me with interference." Standing up, I looked at Grimmjow again as he was standing just a few feet away. "You know where everything is, so you should be fine. I shouldn't be gone long."

"Just don't go." He made a face while crossing his arms. "They're just a bunch of stupid exorcists."

"A bunch of stupid exorcists with authority." Unlocking the door, I went to open it, but the demon forced the door closed. Sighing, I looked over my shoulder while Grimmjow kept his hand planted on the door. "I gotta go, come on. Throw your tantrum later."

"I'm not throwing a tantrum." He snarled.

"Look, I get you hate them, but I'd rather _not_ get arrested."

"Don't go."

"Grimmjow-" I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Don't leave me!" There was a shift in his tone, and I looked at him. "....Don't leave me here. You're not safe without me." He cleared his throat.

"Oh. Right." Going under his arm, I quickly fetched my sword. "Look, I'll take this then. I'll be right back, so there's no need to freak out." I chuckled while raising the sheathed katana. "Now, I gotta go. So move it." Gesturing with my head, the demon's nose twitched up in a snarl.

He really didn't want me going to the Soul Society office.

"Grimmjow, sit."

"Wynter! You shit!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'll be right back? As soon as I'm done, I'll be coming home. Just don't destroy my house." I sighed before going out the door.

~

"First name?" The man behind the desk asked as he sat in front of a computer.

"Wynter."

"Your real name."

"Wynter." I repeated with a nod. He had an unamused expression while looking at me.

" _Legal_ name."

"Wynter." He sighed.

"The name on your birth certificate."

"My name _is_ Wynter, you ass. Is and always has been. Just fucking type in W-Y-N-T-E-R and you'll find me, dickhead." The woman on the other side of the man snorted while turning her face away.

"I'm going to need to see some ID."

"I fucking swear." I grumbled, pulling out my wallet as I tucked my sword under my arm. Taking out my ID, I handed it to the man.

"....Wynter Hughes."

"Now hurry up, I don't want to be here longer than I have to be." He began to type my name into the computer before handing back my ID. Pocketing it, he found me in the system and handed me a Visitor badge.

"Registration is on the second floor, room 209. It'll be on your left as you come out of the elevator."

"Right. Have a shitty day." I waved my hand while walking away from the desk. Finding the elevators, I pushed the button for the second floor. Going to room 209, I entered and saw it was set up like a small office.

"Excuse me, weapons aren't allowed in here. Please dematerialize your sword." The woman at the desk politely said.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that." She raised her brows at me, and I quickly raised my hand. "Oh, right, no. I don't mean that to be rude, just....uh.... It's not safe for me to do that. This weapon was forged with Pantera's energy, so....yeah, no. Not putting that in me." I explained, and everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to look at me.

".... _You're_ Pantera's keeper?" The woman questioned.

"If that's what you want to call it. Guess word travels fast here."

"You're here to join the Soul Society?" Her eyes lit up with what looked like excitement, and she began to gather up paperwork.

"No. Just registering as an active exorcist."

"....Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"We can offer 'round the clock assistance with Pantera. We have specialized units for keeping demons sealed."

"....He's not sealed."

"I'm sorry?"

"He's not sealed. So I don't need those units."

"Then how do you have him under control? Where is he?"

"He's bound to my property, and I'm not sure Pantera is _ever_ under control." I replied while taking the paperwork she held out to me on a clipboard. "Moody ass son-of-a-bitch." I muttered lowly while plucking up a pen from the cup.


	14. Beneath My Skin

It was getting dark by the time I pulled into the driveway. All of the paperwork, all of the questions, it took forever just to get out of that building. Unlocking the front door, I walked into the dark house and heard claws clicking my way.

"Hey, Dagur." I smiled down at the dog wildly wagging his tail. Taking my shoes off, I had to lean back when Dagur shoved his nose in my face to sniff at me. Going through the house with the dog at my heels, I opened the back door to let him out.

Glancing around, I noticed I had yet to see the demon. He hadn't been watching TV in the living room, wasn't snacking in the kitchen, and he wasn't in the yard either.

"I'm home!" I called out in the dark house, but silence was the answer. The longer the quiet drug out, the more worried I became. Was Grimmjow hiding because he fucked shit up, or was he just being moody about me leaving without him?

Checking the office, I saw he wasn't there either, and went to the basement. It was also empty, so I moved upstairs. The stairs softly creaked, and I saw that my bedroom door was closed. Opening the door, nothing was really out of place except for the blankets and pillows on my bed being tossed around.

"Where the Hell is he?" I mumbled under my breath with my brows furrowed. I was about to look elsewhere, but a head bumped against mine from behind. Soft, warm breath hit the back of my neck, and I turned to see Grimmjow.

He was in his human form with his hands shoved into his sweatpants pockets. He didn't look angry or upset, so I don't know why he hadn't come out before now.

"What's for dinner?" Grimmjow asked while looking down at me.

"I honestly don't feel like cooking." Pulling out my phone, I checked the time. "How's pizza sound?"

"'S good."

"Cool. Did you have a bad dream?"

"....What?" His brows furrowed.

"My bed. I assumed you took a nap and wallered all over it." I pointed over my shoulder.

"Oh. No. Couldn't get comfortable."

"Oh, okay. So, what do you want for toppings?" I questioned while going down the hall with Grimmjow trailing after me.

"Chicken."

"Of course." I scoffed. "Wanna get some root beer too?"

"Yeah." He replied, and I closed the back door after Dagur came back in.

"All right. I'll order, then take a shower. You wanna find a movie to watch?"

"Sure." Grimmjow bumped his head against mine again before heading to the living room. I didn't know why, but he'd been doing that quite a bit lately. I wasn't sure if the gentle headbutting was an Arrancar thing or feline. But with the power of the internet, I could look it up to see if it was a feline thing.

That could wait, though. Food first.

~

Sitting on the couch next to the demon, we were pigging out on pizza as the movie played on the TV. I still wasn't sure why Grimmjow chose to be in his human form, but by now I knew sometimes he just did things on a whim.

Dagur was curled up on the cushion on the other side of Grimmjow, and the pizza box was halfway on the demon's lap and halfway on mine. By the time it was gone, the movie was nearing its end.

"....What happened at the Soul Society?"

"Uh, not much. Filled paperwork, got the third degree, and someone didn't believe my name was Wynter no matter how many times I said it was."

"And you really didn't join them?"

"No." I replied while taking the root beer from Grimmjow to take a drink. Handing it back, I raised my eyebrows. "Not that they didn't try even while I was there to recruit me. Just not my scene."

"Really?"

"Dude, I barely ever leave the house. They literally send the exorcists out on missions."

"True." He scoffed.

"However....I did find something out while I was there." I said while pulling out my phone. "You were right. About it not being a dog that caused my bike crash, I mean. The reason I haven't had problems with demons since then was Uncle Jordan actually did some magick crap on me. Something about making my soul essentially invisible to demons. They couldn't smell or sense my spiritual energy, but when Uncle Jordan died, the spell broke, which is why I now have problems with demons."

"Makes sense. So he definitely knew about your power that entire time."

"Yeah. My best guess on why he hid it was to keep me out of that life. The Soul Society takes in kids with enough power to become exorcists, but don't really do much for those with just enough to interest demons but not enough to weaponize. I mean, they'll save them if they're in danger, but that's it." I explained while looking up what I remembered on Grimmjow's headbutting.

"Sounds about right. Those crusty fucks would leave you alone if there's nothing there for them to use."

"Oh, that's funny." I muttered.

"What?"

"Sorry, just doing a bit of research." I smirked while waving my phone.

"On?"

"Headbutting."

"....Why?" Grimmjow looked at me like I was stupid.

"Because you keep doing it to me. Says here it's a way feline's scent or mark territory."

"Oh." He crossed his arms while slightly tilting his head. "Well, your soul _is_ mine."

"Yeah, but that's not it." I looked at the demon as my brows rose with the amused expression on my face. "It's also a form of affection. Awe, Grimmjow, have you warmed up to me?" His eyebrows deeply furrowed as his eyes widened, and I saw his ears turning pink.

"No, it's definitely just marking territory."

"First the cuddling, now this? If I didn't know better, I'd say you're on the track to actually liking me. And that's funny, considering you want my soul."

"I don't like you. You're annoying, and a pain in my ass!" He growled.

"Awe, you like me." I teased while bumping his shoulder with mine. "You wanna be my friend, don't you? Look at that, big, bad demon cares about a mortal."

"I don't!"

"Your body language says otherwise. You've been headbutting me, what? The past few weeks now?" Pondering out loud, I saw the color deepening in Grimmjow's ears. "When did I get the first letter from the Soul Society?"

"It's _not_ fuckin' affection!" He growled.

"Relax, tough guy. It's no different than the cuddling." Putting down my phone, I did begin to wonder if there was truth to it. Was Grimmjow actually softening up? Could a demon even 'soften up'?

~

"Thanks for looking over this for me. I'd hate to turn crap in to my boss." Gary chuckled while leaning on my desk as I flipped through his printed out work.

"It's no problem. Looks fine so far."

"So....blue boy at work?" Gary quirked up a brow at me.

"No, just in his room."

"Don't you think he should have found a place by now?"

"He works odd hours, so it's hard for him to find time to look for a place."

"What do you think happened to make him so angry?"

"Huh?"

"You know, _why_ he always tries to piss people off. There's gotta be a reason for it. Think he was actually bullied a lot in school?" Gary scoffed, and I looked him in the eye.

"You think something bad happened to him to make him like that?"

"You think he just chose to be an asshole? Not to mention....bright blue hair?"

"Gary, he didn't-"

"My hair is natural, fucksticks." Grimmjow's voice came from the doorway of the office. "So stop talkin' shit."

"Uh, dude. It's _blue_." Gary made a face, and the demon looked him dead in the eye with a glare before lifting up his shirt and pulling the waistband of his pants down. Grimmjow, to prove a point, showed off the trail of hair from his belly button all the way down to just above his penis.

I covered my face while sighing. I mean, I guess I was glad he at least didn't just expose himself to Gary, but goodness.

"....It's blue." Gary now sounded shocked. "How...."

"Do you need to see more, or is this good enough?"

"Don't you dare!" I snapped at Grimmjow, and he smirked.

"You embarrassed?"

"No, ass. You just don't go showing people your genitals. So no, he does not need to see more." Grimmjow dropped his shirt back down before strolling over to the desk. Out of habit, he pounced onto the desk and crouched while looking at Gary.

"Why were you two talking about me?"

"Uh, no reason."

"Say it to my face, shithead."

"Okay, will you stop calling me names?"

"No."

"Now that's just being childish."

"Says the one talkin' shit without the balls to say it to my face." Grimmjow lowly growled while flexing his hands like he had claws.

"What's your problem? Why do you always gotta start shit?"

"Well-" Grimmjow looked like he was going to insult Gary further, but I cut in by clearing my throat loudly.

"Hello, yes, still here. You two wanna stop comparing and actually figure out why you two don't get along?"

"Because he's an asshole!" They both said in unison while looking at me, then shot a glare at one another.

" _I'm_ an asshole? I've tried to be nothing but nice to you!" Gary pointed. "You know what? I'm beginning to think you're just jealous."

"Jealous?" The demon snorted. "Of _what?_ "

"You have feelings for Wynter, don't you?" The demon and I both froze for a second, then Grimmjow burst into laughter.

"You have no clue what's going on!"

"Oh, really? Then tell me. Because from where I'm standing, you _do_ have feelings for Wynter. Every time I come over, you're up Wynter's ass and snapping at me or literally anyone else that gets close to them."

"Gary, it's not like that." I sighed. How would I explain that behavior without telling him about how Grimmjow wants my soul?

"Seriously? You say there's nothing going on between you two, so why is he still here? Why does he act like a damn dog with a bone with you?"

"Because he's protective. He was close to my uncle, who if you're forgetting, just passed a few months ago. He's still working through his grief, and I'm helping him." I lied, and Gary got a guilty look in his eye. I didn't want to lie, but this wasn't something I could be honest with. I just couldn't.

"....Oh."

"However, that doesn't give you an excuse to be a dick, either." I said while glancing at Grimmjow with a warning look. "Now, I'm busy with something, so could you let the dog out?"

"Whatever." Grimmjow huffed before hopping off of the desk. He shoved his hands into his pockets while walking out of the office.

"How do you handle that?"

"Give him a snack or something to fiddle with." I replied while flipping the page in the packet I was holding.

"What is he, four?"

"Try six." I popped off, but the joke would go right over Gary's head since he was completely unaware of the meaning. "And as for what you were saying earlier, if you think something happened to him to make him act the way he does, talk to him about it, not me."

"Like he'd talk to me about it."

"Then is it your business? You don't even like him." I questioned.

"Well.... No, not really. But still, gotta wonder."

"I know you mean well, however, he's working through things, and since you want nothing to do with him, it's better to just stay out of it. Who knows, maybe when he's done figuring things out, he won't be such a dick. You might get along then."

"Doubtful." He made a face, and I shrugged.

~

"Can piss-boy stop coming over? I'm tired of seeing his stupid face."

"No, this is _my_ house. I told you to stay in the room if you didn't want to see him." I said while unsheathing my katana.

"But he even says the most annoying shit." Grimmjow grumbled, smacking his hands together before slowly pulling them apart as his own sword formed between his palms. "Don't you get exhausted listening to that crap?"

"What crap?"

"All of the crap."

"I honestly don't get why you don't like him so much. At first, I could understand. But now? Come on, that's just a grudge at this point." Setting the sheath down, I took my stance in front of the demon. "Can't you cut the guy some slack?"

"I'll cut him _something_."

"Grimmjow."

"What?!"

"Come on now." I gave him a look and he clicked his tongue.

"I don't see why you _like_ him so much. He's boring and smells weird."

"We've been friends since we were kids. And he's not boring, you just haven't given him the chance to get to know him."

"I honestly don't want to." Grimmjow swung his sword at me in a downward motion, and I managed to act fast enough to block.

"Do you seriously only give two shits about a person if they're strong or you want to fuck them?"

"Yeah. He's neither." The sounds of our swords clanging against each other echoed in the yard.

"You ever think you wouldn't be so lonely if you weren't that shallow?"

"I'm not lonely."

"You were so touch-starved that you acted like I'd slapped you when giving you basic affection. Now you literally _make_ me give you affection."

"I don't 'make' you."

"Really? Putting my hand on your head, crawling up beside me, flopping down on me, even the damn _headbutting_. You crave contact, but you push everyone else away who could give you it. You act like humans are just ants at your feet, except you refuse to even sleep in a different bed than me." I blocked another attack while taking a step back. "Hell, the only time you talk positively about humans is when you talk about fucking them. There's more to us, and to life, than empty sex and bloodlust."

"You think I don't know that?" He growled, his face close to mine as our katanas were crossed.

"Then why keep acting that way?"

"Because I don't know anything else, you little shit." Grimmjow added pressure to his sword to push me back a step. "I barely know half the shit going on inside my own head anymore."

"What?" My brows furrowed as I dug my heels into the dirt to not be pushed back further.

"You fucked everything up."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean what I said. You got me thinking shit I don't even get or want to think about."

"You ever wonder if asking me about what you don't understand might help? I _do_ know more than you think. What is it, Grimmjow?" I questioned, wondering if this was a genuine breakthrough with the demon having more human thoughts and feelings.

"It's weakness."

"You call me 'little rabbit', you really think I care about stupid shit like 'weakness'? Not to mention thoughts and feelings aren't weaknesses. It's just being." I grunted, sliding back a few inches in the grass.

"Then tell me why the fuck it's happening if it's not weakness?! I can't keep sharp in this fucking place. I can't fight, I can't kill, I can't sink my fangs into anything!"

"Well, tell me what it is first of all."

"I don't _know_."

"Describe it. If it's not coherent, just give what you can put words to."

"....Heat. Burning beneath my skin, through my veins. It's not like the rage."

"When do you feel that way?"

"All the fucking time."

"Okay, what else is there?"

"The impulses. Those are the worst." Grimmjow's nose twitched into a snarl. "They're so fucking hard to control."

"Since when did you try to control your impulses?"

"I.... You tell me no. Over and over, you tell me no."

"To?"

"Touching you. I get these stupid fucking urges to touch you, but all you allow is the 'platonic cuddling'." He made a face while saying the last two words. "So I take it, but even then, they don't stop. I want to fuck you so damn bad, but I don't even know _why_ I want to fuck you so badly. I've met souls with more power than you and it wasn't like this." Grimmjow explained.

Oh, goodness. Was the demon getting sexually frustrated?

"I just want to rip your fucking clothes off and touch your skin. I want to feel you, taste you, mark you. I want inside you, Wynter. I want it so badly it drives me nuts."

"It sounds like you're actually pent up. Have you tried masturbating and see if that helps?" I asked while trying to keep a straight face. He seemed genuinely irritated, like it was seriously bugging him, but goodness, to say that to me so bluntly.

"....What?"

"Masturbating. You know, rubbing one out? Jerking off? If you're sexually pent up, you're going to want it more. You might be having those urges more so towards me since I'm the only one around." His eyes narrowed at me before he took a step back while holding his chin.

"And that works?"

"I mean....it helps."

"We're done training for the day." He tossed up his other hand, and his sword turned to smoke.

"Wha- We barely even started."

"Too bad."

"Where are you going?"

"To jack off. I need this shit out of my system." He waved over his shoulder before going into the house. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.

"You have got to be kidding me." I muttered.

~

Since training had been canceled, I was actually getting more work done now that I had a chance of peace and quiet. Dagur was curled up at my feet and napping, and Grimmjow....

Well, he was still upstairs dealing with his urges.

I just hoped this would actually work if what he'd told me was true. I mean, it sounded like he was just itching to pounce on me, but was holding back due to lack of consent. Which, on another note, made me realize Grimmjow did have an odd sense of morals.

He'd rip somebody apart with glee, probably even gnaw on their bones for the Hell of it, but he still held back his own sexual urges if consent wasn't given. Even so, he still seemed fine to grab someone's ass, or lick their face, regardless.

And, perhaps, maybe some of his moodiness will ease off if this is what has been on his mind so much. There was no guarantee, so I'd just have to wait and see. But this also raised a few other questions like if Arrancar specifically didn't need to actually eat, didn't that imply the lack of genuine 'life'? Why was sex even a thing for them without procreation? Why even have genitals?

And how could they have normal bodily functions if the need for food wasn't present? Grimmjow had pissed on Gary, but that meant his body, or projection at least, was able to process something he drank.

Leaning back in my chair, I paused.

No, the Arrancar _did_ have a need to eat, just not in the same sense as humans. They were created through cannibalism, literally eating other souls and demons. So, even if their main food source was different, did that mean they retained the abilities to process other regular foods from when they were still alive? That would also explain the genitals and desire for sex if that were the case.

But if Grimmjow needed to eat souls, was he placating that need by eating human food instead? I was aware not everything concerning demons could be explained by logic or science, like their use of magick for instance, but I did want to at least figure out as much as possible. This would be easier with more Arrancar to compare with, but Grimmjow was the only one that couldn't kill me.

He was also rather interesting if I was being honest. Despite his bloody history, he still enjoyed relaxing on the couch with a pizza or curling up with someone to sleep. What exactly was his drive for destruction? Or any of the other Arrancar? From the book, it looked like even the other Espada had specific drives, or motives, in what they did.

For example, with Murcielago, the accounts of him showed a cold indifference, and he only fought when provoked, unlike Grimmjow. He was even ranked higher than Pantera but wasn't even half as violent. So, clearly, bloodlust wasn't the drive behind their actions across the board. They were varied, but I wouldn't know just how much without actually getting to know them.

The damn book was lacking so much.

~

"What are you doing?" I questioned as Grimmjow was holding my jaw to make me look at him. His brows were deeply furrowed, and his eyes narrowed as he was staring me down.

"Seeing if it worked."

"Please tell me you washed your hands before touching my face."

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Grimmjow."

"I did."

"Oh, thank goodness."

"It seems like it actually worked. I don't want to fuck you as badly as before. I mean, I still kinda do, but it's just the normal desire to."

"....That's good?" What the Hell was I supposed to say to something like that.

"You might want to wash your bedding though, little rabbit."

"Wha- You did it in _my_ bed?!" I smacked the demon on his chest.

"Where else would I?"

"There's other rooms! Bathrooms, even!"

"Yeah, but your bed smells like you. If you're not gonna give me porn, I gotta have _something_."

"Oh, I'll give you _something!_ " I picked up the nearest thing to throw at Grimmjow, and he bolted while laughing before he could get hit.


	15. Nepeta cataria

"I would like to test something." I said while holding a box as I looked at Grimmjow curled up in the sunlight coming in from the window.

"What?" He narrowed his eyes at me.

"You display a lot of characteristics that felines have, not shocking given your panther traits, but I want to see if you share a specific characteristic." I explained while opening the box. Grimmjow sat up while watching me pull out the small container from the box.

"I'm not a damn housecat!"

"I know. This stuff isn't just for housecats. Look, I'm just curious how _you_ would react, if you react at all. If you don't want to try it, I won't make you. But....you gotta wonder." I raised my eyebrows at the demon while shaking the container of catnip. "For felines, the effects only last around 10 to 15 minutes from what I read, so it's only temporary. But with you not actually being a feline, it may be shorter, or not at all."

"Why are you so curious about this?"

"Because catnip makes felines very cuddly, very playful, or running up the damn walls, and I wanna know how it would affect you as a demon with feline traits. Think of it as an experiment. And, again, there is also a high chance it won't work the same for you with you being a demon and also not actually a feline per se. If you're curious, too, all you have to do is smell it."

Grimmjow's ear twitched as he narrowed his eyes more at me. He stood up and walked over with his hands on his hips.

"This isn't going to work."

"Prove it."

"Open it up." His gaze dropped to the container, and I set down the box. I figured he'd be just as curious, but with his complex, I wasn't sure he'd actually try it. Unscrewing the cap, I tucked it under my arm to open the container's seal.

Getting it off, I held up the container for Grimmjow. His tail swayed before he leaned down to sniff at the container's contents.

"It smells weird." The demon said, and it was looking like catnip really didn't affect him. But when I went to put the lid back on, I saw Grimmjow's pupils widen. I heard a rumbling purr and laughed when the demon rubbed his face against the container.

"Oh, my goodness! It _does_ affect you."

"No, it doesn't." He jerked back, and I screwed the lid back onto the container.

"It clearly does."

"Okay, it does." Grimmjow snorted with a goofy smile on his face. "'S so nice." He then flung his arms around my shoulders and began to rub his cheek against mine. The demon was leaning on me and accidentally kicked the box on the floor.

The noise caused him to stand up straight with his ears perked up as he looked around. His nose was twitching as he sniffed the air, but when he determined nothing was there, he was right back on me while purring. Grimmjow put one hand on my cheek while rubbing his face on my other cheek.

I couldn't help but laugh while pushing him back.

"It looks like you get even cuddlier."

"Mm." He hummed with a smile as he rubbed his hands over his face. It was actually really adorable.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good." Grimmjow purred before leaning down to press the top of his head under my jaw. His hair and fur tickled my throat, and then the demon kept rubbing his face on me. He was acting so much like the cats in the videos I saw when looking up catnip.

Grimmjow was smiling and purring while clinging onto me. And, seeing the way he reacted to catnip....I couldn't tell the Soul Society about this. Not like they'd actually believe me without proof anyway, but there was no way anyone but a heartless bastard could hurt Grimmjow in this state.

I wanted to send this demon to Hell, or even try to kill him, but that stupid smile and his nonsensical rambling was making my heart melt.

"You're so warm and soft." He purred. "Your name is so wrong." The demon then snickered. "Hey, you know what?" He slung an arm around my shoulders while touching his own face. "I actually like you, little rabbit. You're irritating, but you're so nice." Grimmjow bumped his head against mine. "Is it weird to think of you as my ally?"

I paused as my smile fell. I slowly looked at Grimmjow as he was simply grinning and leaning on me.

"Maybe if you ask nicely, you can be one of my Fraccions."

"Aren't Fraccions the subordinates of the Espada?"

"Yeah. You'd do _great_. You're already doin' better than my other Fraccions since they're all dead." He burst into laughter while leaning back until his horns knocked into the wall and he snorted. "You also make good food. 'S nice." Grimmjow came back to press his cheek to mine.

"Wait, what? What happened to your Fraccions?"

"Plucked off one-by-one by stupid exorcists." He explained while brushing his knuckles under my chin. "But you're an exorcist too now, so that won't happen. You know," Grimmjow chuckled. "I was a king once. King of an empty world. My subordinates were my subjects, and a wasteland my kingdom."

"A king?"

"Mm-hm. Now I'm stuck here." His tone shifted. "'S not so bad though. 'S warm here. Safe." The demon pulled me into a tight hug while burying his face into my neck and shoulder. "You wouldn't mind if I didn't eat your soul, would you? I think....I wanna just keep you." He chuckled.

"....I told you you were lonely." I sighed through my nose.

"Is that what it is?"

"It's what it sounds like."

"You're so smart." Grimmjow chuckled, then suddenly licked my cheek. "I'mma keep you then. My little rabbit."

"You can't 'keep' me. I'm not a pet."

"But your soul is mine. I can do with it what I want." Grimmjow held me out at an arm's length. "I like this too much." He grabbed my hands and purred as he rubbed his face against my palms. "I can't get this if you're gone."

"You big cuddle bug."

"Tell me this isn't nice." The demon then grabbed my face in his hands, brushing his thumbs over my cheeks. I swallowed, and the chuckling demon bumped his forehead against my own. "So.... _Mine_." He was so cheery, but the part about his Fraccions was still sticking to me.

Was that why he hated exorcists so much, or was there another reason? And the bit about him being a king.... What was that about?

His horns pressed against the top of my head as he still held my face and purred. Grimmjow looked rather content while his tail slowly swayed behind him.

"Catnip really loosens up your tongue, huh?" I muttered, and the demon slowly opened his eyes to look at me. "Do you really think of me as an ally?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"You make me feel good." Grimmjow licked my cheek again.

"What do you mean?"

"When you touch me." He set his chin on my shoulder as one of his hands slid into my hair. "'S so gentle." The demon ran his fingers through my hair, and I knew he meant when we were cuddling.

"If you like it so much, why not be gentler yourself?" I questioned, and Grimmjow burst into a fit of laughter. "What?"

"Destruction is my core, silly little rabbit. 'S why I break stuff." His tone shifted again as he tilted his head. His hand that wasn't in my hair slid up my side and to my chest. Grimmjow placed his palm over my heart as his nose brushed against my neck. "I can't break you. You're the perfect Fraccion." He then started chuckling like he'd said something hilarious. "Isn't that nice?"

"I'm beginning to think you legitimately need therapy. And also....no more catnip." I said while sliding the container back on the floor. It certainly made him loosen up and cuddly, but the loosening up apparently came with saying such sad shit with a happy, uncaring tone.

"I don't need fuckin' therapy. I feel _gre-eat_." He purred before perking up again when there was a knock at the door.

"Oh, fuck." I hissed under my breath. "Stay here. Uh, play with this." I quickly handed the cardboard box to Grimmjow before going to the door. Seeing who it was before I opened the door, I felt a bit of relief. Opening the door, I leaned on the frame while having it to where he couldn't see into the house. "What do you want, Ichigo?"

"I'm here to check in on things." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Um.... To see how things are progressing."

"Now's not a good time."

"Why-"

"Kurosaki!" Grimmjow yelled, and I couldn't tell if it was because he heard the exorcist or because he smelled him. Looking over my shoulder, I had to hold my laughter in. Covering my mouth with my hand, I tried to keep a straight face after seeing the demon with the box now stuck on his head with his horns stabbed through.

"Just stay where you are, Pantera." I said, but the twitching of his tail showed that he wasn't going to listen.

"Is something going on?" Ichigo furrowed his brows at me. "Wynter, do you need help?" His voice went lower as he took a step forward.

"Back off, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow growled from right behind me now. "This one's mine, fucker!" The box thunked onto the back of my head, and I snorted. Ichigo had that expression on his face with conflicting emotions again as his mouth hung open.

"We, uh, we did an experiment." It was so hard not to laugh. "With catnip."

"Catni.... You're kidding, right?"

"He has a box on his head, and you're really asking me that?"

"Fuck off!" The box thunked against my head again.

"You're just gonna have to come back later." I quickly said to Ichigo while pushing Grimmjow back. Given the state he was in and how Ichigo was _still_ able to agitate him with his mere presence, the exorcist couldn't stay. Closing the door, I then turned to the demon. "Grimmjow, how in the world did you manage this?" I chuckled while grabbing the box.

Lifting it off of Grimmjow's horns first, I managed to detach it from his head. As soon as he saw me, though, he went back to purring with that goofy smile on his face. Holding the box in one hand, I pulled out my phone to check the time.

"The catnip should be wearing off soon. How are you feeling?"

"Still great." He grabbed me into another hug. "Just great."

"....Grimmjow?"

"Hm?"

"I think....I think I'd prefer you as an ally, too."

"Really?" The demon purred before licking up the side of my neck.

"Not that kind of ally." I quickly said while prying Grimmjow off as he was chuckling.

~

"You can stop pouting now. It's been days, that's just excessive at this point." I said before stapling some papers together. Folding them on the desk, I then slid them into an envelope.

"I shouldn't have fuckin' done it." The demon grumbled from where he sat on top of a bookshelf.

"You didn't do anything terrible. It's not shocking you've warmed up to me by now after everything-"

"I haven't warmed up!" Grimmjow snapped while shooting a glare my way.

"Don't be so stubborn. Look, this is good. I'd say this is a positive development, and I'd also say you're on the right track to handling your emotions in a healthier manner."

"What the fuck's wrong with you?"

"I went to therapy for years, some things stuck. You need some sessions, too, might I add. I can find you a doctor for online visits."

"I don't need it."

"You most definitely do. Coming from a human soul, or many in your case, and living as long as you have through the things that you have, it's no shock you don't understand the changes you're going through now. Seeing as I'm not a professional in this matter, it'd be best to bring one in."

"I'm a demon."

"Just don't talk about being a demon then."

"That's not what I meant. I'm a demon, I don't need _therapy_." He made a face and I set the envelope to the side to look at Grimmjow.

"Trust me, it'll do you some good. I know a lot, but from the things you said the other day, you need help processing. It's not a bad thing to need help with things, Grimmjow." Resting my jaw in my hand, I leaned on the desk as he was still glaring back at me. "You'll have to omit some things given what you are, like all of the murder and cannibalism, but-"

"Little rabbit, you're smart, but so fucking weird."

"How is this weird? You clearly have issues you need to deal with that are beyond me. What's wrong with wanting to find someone that can help you?"

"You're literally talking about putting a demon, _me_ , into _therapy_." Grimmjow pointed at himself.

"Yeah? And? I wouldn't be shocked if all of the Espada need it. Look, how about this- You try at least _two_ sessions, and if you don't want to continue, I won't make you." I held up two fingers, and the demon narrowed his eyes at me.

"And you'll quit bugging me about it?"

"I will. Promise."

~

"How'd it go?" I questioned while coming out of the bathroom after a shower. Grimmjow did not look happy in the slightest as he walked over to me and grabbed the front of my shirt in a tight fist. He threw me onto the bed hard enough that I bounced, then crawled onto the mattress and flopped down. He curled up around me, and I was still trying to process what was happening. "Grimmjow....?"

"It went fucking terrible." He growled. "What the fuck even is 'compartmentalizing'?"

"A form of suppression." I answered while running my fingers through his hair since he clearly wanted affection. "She got that in the first session? I figured you'd hardly talk."

"I thought the whole point of it was to talk?"

"It is, just.... You can be stubborn, you know?" I half shrugged. "Was there anything else you didn't understand?"

"No."

"Then why are you so upset?"

"Bitch said I had a superiority complex and 'live in strong denial'. That I should try to be more 'open'." Grimmjow visibly cringed as he repeated the therapist's words. I wanted to laugh but kept from doing so.

"Well, you _do_ keep denying things when I know the opposite is true."

"Shut up." He lowly growled a warning.

"The longer you're here, the more I know I don't need to get a cat."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Means I pretty much already have one." I popped off, then jerked back when Grimmjow nipped my cheek. "Ow!"


	16. Blood in the Water

"Stop working already." Grimmjow groaned while laying across the desk with his fingers laced behind his head.

"I already ordered Chinese, stop bugging me."

"What are you even doing that's so interesting? The book is probably shit."

"I'm not editing."

"The fuck are you doing then?"

"Ichigo asked me to write up what I've learned about you to add to the Soul Society records. Doing it this way allows for more detail to be added, and makes it to where it doesn't have to be shared through word of mouth."

"What makes you think I'll let you give that to him?" Grimmjow's eyes locked onto me as his pupils were thin slits.

"Because it's the same shit I already told Ichigo." The demon furrowed his brows.

"You're not telling them everything?"

"I already said I was dealing with you. I'm not gonna have some shithead exorcist getting a big head and killing you or exorcising you before I can."

"Aw, I thought you didn't want to do that anymore."

"I never said that."

"'I think I'd prefer you as an ally, too.'" Grimmjow mocked.

"And I do, but we still have a deal that ends in you taking my soul. It's either you eat it or 'keep' my soul like some pet or lackey. Not exactly interested in any of those outcomes."

"What's so wrong with being my little rabbit?" He smirked, and I just looked him dead in the eye with an unamused expression.

"I don't think I have to actually answer that."

"Rude ass."

"You'll get over it." I scoffed while turning back to the laptop screen.

~

The sun was still warm despite fall being right around the corner, and the cool water surrounding me gave a sense of serenity. Slowly breathing with my eyes closed, I was simply floating on my back in the pool. I was taking a break from work and Grimmjow to relax in the quiet for as long as it lasted.

The demon was napping the last I saw him, as was Dagur, so I was taking this moment for myself.

Sighing through my nose, I rolled over and began to lazily swim around the pool. A shadow flew across the water, and I glanced up to see a bird circling overhead. Squinting, I couldn't tell what kind it was exactly, but from the shape, I would guess at it being a hawk. It was gliding on an air current high above as I watched it.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and I turned to look at the back door thinking Grimmjow was awake from his nap. My brows furrowed when I didn't see him there before I rubbed the back of my neck. Glancing around the yard, I didn't see anything there either.

Unease began to settle in, and I decided to go back inside. Swimming to the stairs, I wrung out my hair while going up the steps. A chill shot down my spine before I even saw the beast barreling at me.

I couldn't even scream before I was submerged back in the water as claws dug into my shoulders. Bubbles of air rose from my mouth as I couldn't clearly see the demon on me. My fingers tangled in coarse fur, and I tried to shove the demon off of me when teeth nearly snapped down on my face.

Stinging, throbbing pain radiated from the claw marks on my shoulders, and the demon was grabbing at me as I struggled to fight back. The water around me was turning pink from the demon clawing at me more. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I was trying to remain as calm as possible while holding my breath.

I was kicking and pushing, trying to get the thing off of me as it was keeping me under the water. My hand closed around the bottom jaw of a snout, and I jerked my hand upward while shooting out raw spiritual energy. I heard a shrill cry garbled in the water before claws raked across my chest.

More blood seeped into the water as my lungs were burning and begging for air. An inhuman hand closed around my throat as my back hit the bottom of the pool.

However, as the demon was rearing its head on me again, it was suddenly off of me and I hurried towards the surface. My head broke the water and I gasped for air. Clinging to the edge of the pool, I pulled myself out of the water until a hand grabbed my ankle and drug me back a few inches.

My nails dug into the rocky tile, but the demon was yanked back as I heard a familiar growl. Blood and water pooled under me, and I heard a loud crash.

It was hard to breathe from the intense spiritual energy Grimmjow was putting off as he climbing out of the pool. His dangerous gaze was locked onto the soaking wet demon. Steam was rising from Grimmjow, and he flexed his claws while baring his fangs.

His roar shook the air, and he suddenly vanished from my sight before appearing in front of the demon as he was swinging his arm. Blood sprayed across the back fence, and a scream filled the air.

Dropping my gaze to the ground beneath me, I swallowed and tried to steady my breathing. Grimmjow was handling the demon now, so I knew I had nothing to worry about now. I mean, with him being the Sexta Espada, there wasn't much I had to worry about when he got involved.

Pushing myself up to my feet, I ignored the sounds of Grimmjow beating the shit out of the demon as I went to the back door. A trail of bloody water footprints were left where I stepped, and I wandered upstairs to the master bathroom.

I hurt all over and turned the shower on, not even bothering to let it warm up or undress before stepping under the stream to wash the blood and chlorine from my skin. Sitting under the showerhead, I couldn't help but break down into tears with how close I had come to death.

The demon had its hand around my throat....had it dug its claws in, that would have been it for me. Had it managed to sink its fangs into my skull, had I not managed to build up that much spiritual energy....

I hugged myself and cried as pink water went down the drain. The pain in itself was making my brain feel close to exploding, but I had to bear with it until it could be dealt with. My eyes burned, and my fingers slid into my hair as I held my head.

I jolted when the shower curtain was thrown back so hard it was ripped from a few of the rings. Grimmjow looked down at me with blood smeared across his face and chest, and it was dripping from both of his arms. He wasn't injured at all, so I knew none of it was his.

Without saying a word, Grimmjow climbed into the tub with me. He grabbed one of my arms as water began to wash the blood off of him, and he licked the deep scratch on my forearm. After a few licks, the wound was healed, so he moved to the next. He was oddly gentle and didn't even mention how I was crying.

I figured he'd make fun of me for it.

"You did good, little rabbit." Grimmjow muttered before licking my shoulder.

"I nearly got killed."

"You burnt off half the bastard's face."

"....Okay, that makes me feel a _little_ bit better."

"Good." He had a flat tone and moved to my other shoulder. His saliva stung my wounds, but dealing with it was all I could do until they healed. "Lean back." Grimmjow ordered, and I did so as his head dropped to the claw marks across my chest.

Wiping the tears and water from my face, I was thankful for the healing properties the demon's saliva had. It'd be hard to explain these wounds in the ER.

"I need you to get out now." Grimmjow said while holding the sides of the tub in a harsh grip.

"What?"

"Get _out_." His tail twitched and swayed as my brows furrowed. "You're healed, so get out."

"The Hell is your problem?"

"You are." The demon licked the blood from his lips while looking at me with a predatorial gaze. "You taste way too fuckin' good." He lowly growled while still holding the sides of the tub. I recognized the body language he was displaying and quickly got to my feet.

Grimmjow was close to pouncing but was holding himself back as he watched me with a hungry gaze. The demon twitched when I went to the door, and I quickly shut it behind me. Sighing through my nose, I closed my eyes for a second.

I had momentarily forgotten just how my blood affected Grimmjow, except it had always been in small amounts until now. He was still a demon and I couldn't forget that. I would certainly thank him for his help, but I would have to be careful since he was now on edge.

~

Laying in bed, I was curled up around a pillow while Dagur was softly snoring at the foot of the bed. Grimmjow had actually avoided me for the rest of the day, and I knew it wasn't out of malice, but for some reason it still....

It actually made me feel bad.

Was he planning on sleeping in another room, too?

The bed dipped behind me from Grimmjow laying down. His arm draped over my side, and I felt a little better knowing he was okay to be around me now. Horns tapped the top of my head as the demon pressed his face into my hair.

"....Thanks for the help." I muttered in the quiet room. Grimmjow only gave a lazy hum in response before pulling me back closer against him. "You, uh....really saved my ass."

"What do you want?"

"What makes you think I want something?"

"You keep talking instead of going to sleep."

"Because I'm trying to show I'm grateful, you ass." I sighed. "You know, like 'thanks, I owe you one.'"

"Owe me one?"

"To make us even. I know I can't save your life or heal you, or anything like that, but I can make you something you really like for dinner or whatever." My voice was low as I fiddled with the pillow in my arms. Grimmjow didn't say or do anything for a good few seconds that felt like an eternity. Then he simply raised his hand with his fingers outstretched.

I could barely see it in the dark if not for the soft glint of light reflecting off of his claws from the street light peeking through the cracks of the curtains. He kept his hand there as my brows furrowed in confusion.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, then heard a frustrated growl. "I'm not a psychic, you gotta tell me."

"....I saw it on the TV."

"Saw _what?_ " I asked, and the demon placed his hand onto my arm, sliding it down my forearm to the back of my hand on the pillow. When Grimmjow found my hand, he laced his fingers between mine. "Hand-holding?"

"Shut up. I wanted to try it." He muttered, his hot breath hitting the back of my head, and I looked at his larger hand on my own. Slightly clenching my jaw, I could feel my cheeks actually getting warm.

"I guess this is the 'or whatever'." I quietly popped off.

"Mm."

"....Hey, Grimmjow?"

"What?"

"Are you actually okay? After having that much of my blood, I mean."

"I'm fine."

"Really?"

"I just got really hungry, that's all. Now I'm not, so go to sleep."

"How do you expect me to go to sleep after you telling me that?"

"Not that kind of hungry, little rabbit."

"What?" I paused, but Grimmjow didn't say anything else. "What?" I repeated a little louder, and soft snores came from behind me. "I know you're not asleep."


	17. Photographs and Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING: Mature content ahead, proceed at own risk*

"Will you stop digging through my stuff?" I sighed while sliding my jacket off as I walked into my room. I'd just gotten back from grocery shopping, and the demon was sitting like a cat in my closet with a box open in front of him.

"Is this piss-boy?" Grimmjow snorted while holding up an old photo. Looking as I went over to hang my jacket, I nodded.

"Yeah, that was in high school."

"Fuckin' nerd." The demon popped off, looking at the photo of Gary and I back when he was a lanky beanpole of a boy with braces, and I was going through a pixie cut phase. Lightly smacking the back of his head, I then grabbed a hanger.

"Don't be a jerk."

"I guess you really are into the whole 'platonic affection' shit." Grimmjow picked up another photo of Gary and I from the box, also from the high school era, but this one was from a few months after the first one had been taken. We were cuddling on the couch, and it was a polaroid Gary had taken of us.

"Oh, no, we were actually dating then." I stated, hooking the hanger onto the rod in the closet, and Grimmjow's face fell.

"What?"

"We were dating then. Uh, for a little bit in high school, around Sophomore year I think, we tried out being a couple. Found out we did better as friends, so we just went back to that." Crouching by the demon, I pulled out another polaroid to look at. This one was also Gary and I, but with some others from school that we no longer talk to. "He was actually my first kiss, too."

"Wait, you really dated _piss-boy?_ "

"Yeah."

" _Why?_ " Grimmjow looked at me like I was an idiot.

"Thought there might be something there, so tried it out."

"....Did you love him?"

"I thought I did. Found out that love was only in a friend way and nothing more. Oh, haven't seen these guys since graduation."

"You ever do anything more than kiss this nerd?" The demon made a face while waving the photo.

"Why are you so curious about what I've done with Gary?"

"'Cause I bet I've gone further." Grimmjow smirked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you so competitive with Gary?"

"He's annoying, and I like to rub shit in his face."

"Don't actually do that."

"So, answer the question."

"No, we only ever kissed. I wasn't comfortable with anything else."

"You gave the little piss-boy blue balls?" The demon burst into laughter.

"I'd make a crack about your blue hair, but I'll pass since I don't feel like being childish like you." I snatched the photo from Grimmjow's hand and put it back into the box.

"Yeah, well, you only confirmed I've gotten further."

"You haven't even gotten a kiss."

"Gotten handfuls of that ass, though."

"Only because you just grabbed me."

"You can touch my ass if it makes you feel better."

"Pass." I immediately said, and Grimmjow chuckled as his tail swayed.

"So how was that kiss? Terrible, wasn't it?"

"Not really."

"He had braces."

"Well, how do _you_ kiss lovers with the way your fangs are?"

"I can show you."

"Pass."

"Call it an 'experiment'."

"Not the kind of experiment I'm interested in."

"What if I am?"

"You're just a horny demon trying to cop a feel whenever he can." I waved my hand as Grimmjow dug out a different photo from the box.

"Why are there so fucking many with you and piss-boy?"

"I told you, we've been friends since we were kids. We've got a lot of memories together."

"You know he still likes you, right?" Grimmjow glanced at me. "He reeks of it."

"I'm aware he might have some lingering curiosity. We _are_ adults now instead of teens. And what do you mean by 'reeks of it'?"

"Desire. Lust." Grimmjow raised his eyebrows while looking at more photos. "Little piss ant wants to have sex with you."

"I didn't think it was _that_ far."

"Trust me, you get too close or do specific shit, and he starts stinking of it." The demon cringed, and I quirked up a brow.

"Stinking? You say the opposite for me."

"Because you actually smell good. His stupid little libido makes me want to barf."

"That's mean."

"It's honesty."

"Then what _do_ I smell like if it's not gross?" I questioned while flipping through photos and smiling at the memories that came with them.

"When you're aroused? It's like...." The demon paused to try and put it into words, and I was genuinely curious with how sensitive his nose was compared to a human's. "Rain. Sex. Heat."

"And what makes Gary's scent different from that?"

"He smells like sweat and cheap aftershave."

"Maybe you're just biased."

"Which of us has the demonic sense of smell?"

"I'm just saying, you're very clear about disliking Gary. How do I know you're being honest?"

"Fine. Your little girlfriend, Yui-"

"Not my girlfriend."

"That woman smells more like pepper. That biased?"

"Pepper? Just what all can you smell?"

"Everything." The demon looked at me with a smirk. "Which is why I _know_ you want to fuck me just as much as I want to fuck you."

"I doubt it. You're like a little dog humping my leg."

"You wanna test that?" There was a glint in his eyes.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're just gonna start grabbing me or some shit."

"I won't even touch you." Raising a brow at the demon, he had this grin on his face while looking at me. "I'll know with your scent, and you'll know 'cause it's you."

"You really think you could do anything without touching me?"

"I know I can."

"....All right then. If you can't do it, you have to clean the kitchen after dinner. Dishes included."

"And what do I get when I do prove it?"

"What do you want?"

"A kiss."

"A kiss?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you a simple little demon? Okay, what've you got?" Dropping the photos in my hands back into the box, I picked it up to put it back onto the shelf. Turning to the demon, I crossed my arms as he stood up.

Grimmjow pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it onto the floor. He began to gather up his long hair before pulling it over his shoulder. I was honestly a bit confused by what he was doing but continued to watch him to try and figure it out.

"You do know I've seen you shirtless before, right? That's not gonna work."

"Just wait." He replied, and my brows furrowed. Was he just being cocky, or did he genuinely know what he would do next would work? However, as he said, he wasn't even touching me and stayed where he was two feet away. Grimmjow turned around, exposing his back to me.

I still wasn't sure what he was doing exactly, and with his hair over his shoulder now, I could actually see the stripes and muscles down his back. I could also now see how his pants went right under his tail and how there was a trail of fur going a few inches further up his spine from where his tail came out. It was actually rather interesting to see how the muscles moved when his tail swayed.

My gaze briefly dropped to his butt for a few seconds before going right back to his spine. Grimmjow then bent forward as his tail raised, and I was even more confused now. His thumbs hooked behind the waistband of his tight pants, then he yanked them down over his ass.

"Grimmjow!" I yelled out of shock, but the demon only laughed while swaying his bare bottom at me.

"What's wrong, little rabbit? I'm not even naked yet."

"The Hell do you mean 'yet'-" His pants pooled around his paws as he was grinning over his shoulder at me. I quickly looked away when he turned around. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Not touching you." Grimmjow placed a hand onto the closet shelf while staring me down with that grin still on his face. The demon was standing so close to me now, but I stood my ground while still looking at the opposite wall. He slowly blew on my neck, making my hair stand on end before he began to chuckle. "Looks like I get that kiss."

"You're literally naked."

"And? You started smelling interested before I even took my pants off, little rabbit."

"Then why even take them off?"

"Because I can. So, come on and give me a kiss."

"But you're still naked."

"Don't look down then. Unless you want to, I don't care." Grimmjow shrugged, then narrowed his eyes. "And before you try to get smart, I want an actual kiss. Don't try pulling that peck on the cheek shit." He saw the face I made, knowing that's exactly what I was going to do.

"You're an asshole."

"You're stalling." He leaned his head in front of my face while having an amused expression. "Come on, little rabbit. It's just a kiss."

"Whatever." I huffed, grabbing his face to bring it closer to my own. However, I found myself hesitating when his lips were only a few inches from mine.

Was I really about to kiss a demon?

I knew it didn't mean anything, Grimmjow was just being Grimmjow, but I still felt the apprehension. Swallowing, I finally closed the distance and kissed the demon. It was quick, I wanted to get it over with, and I saw his ear twitch.

He was staring at me with slit pupils while licking his lips before going in for another kiss. His hand went to the back of my head as his tongue slid into my mouth, and my back hit the wall. I was quickly getting swept away in the flow of the heated kiss to the point that I didn't even think to stop Grimmjow.

Hands grabbed the back of my thighs to pick me up, then slid to my ass to hold me there as Grimmjow pressed his body against mine. I began to hear low purring as my fingers tangled into the demon's hair.

Claws pricked at my skin through my jeans, and the demon pulled back to lick my cheek and kiss down the side of my neck. The demon ground his hips into mine while burying his face between my neck and shoulder. Grimmjow's lips found the spot I liked the most, making me actually let out a soft moan.

The purring turned into growling almost immediately as the demon was rubbing up against me. I could feel his erection pressing against me, and it wasn't until I heard fabric ripping that I snapped out of my daze.

"Grimmjow, sit!" I nearly fell from how quickly the demon dropped.

"What the fuck, Wynter?!"

"Are _you_ seriously 'what the fuck'ing _me?_ What the fuck was all of _that?!_ " I raised my hand to block the view of his crotch as I locked eyes with Grimmjow. "You said you wanted 'just a kiss'!"

"Yeah."

"That wasn't just a kiss!"

"It's not like you told me to stop. You were even grabbing me."

"That's not the point!"

"Oh, so the little rabbit is fine spooning, but a little heavy petting is what embarrasses you?" He paused, then his ears perked up. "You're embarrassed! You won't even actually look at me!"

"I don't want to see your dick, thank you very much."

"Like Hell you don't." Grimmjow licked his lips like a predator before his head fell back as he took a deep inhale through his nose. "Fuck, you smell too damn _good_." He groaned while leaning back on his hands with his eyes closed. "Don't be such a fucking tease. If you wanna be on top, I'll let you ride me, but _fuck_ , don't leave me hanging like this." There was a desperate edge to his voice.

"You can deal with it yourself, I'm out." Walking around the demon, I went to leave, but he grabbed my leg to stop me.

"I'm literally sitting here naked with a boner, eager to fuck, and you're turning away from me?"

"Yeah."

" _Why?_ " He sounded truly baffled, and I still wouldn't look at him. "Do you really think I'm _that_ awful that you'd ignore what you want because of it? Are you hung up on someone else? What the fuck is the problem here?"

Sighing through my nose, I rubbed my forehead before leaning down to take the demon's hand off of my shin. However, I didn't let go of his hand as I held it and looked into those blue eyes of his.

"You killed my uncle, Grimmjow. Do you honestly think I could ever forgive you for that? You're the reason he's gone and I'm here, in this house, stuck with you." My voice came out calmer than I thought it would. Letting go of his hand, I then walked out of the closet. "Your actions have consequences. You took someone away from me, so there is a line that I refuse to cross with you."

~

"Oh, finally wanna face me?" I popped off while loading up the dishwasher. After telling Grimmjow the real reason I kept turning him down, he'd avoided me for a few days to the point that he didn't even come to the kitchen to get food when I was cooking. Anytime I saw him around the house, he was actually quiet with a specific pinched expression on his face.

Without saying a word, he set my phone down onto the island as I put a cup onto the rack. For whatever reason, he was also in his human form as his gaze went from the device to me.

"What?"

"You should know how that old fucker-" Grimmjow cleared his throat and dropped his gaze. "How your uncle, died."

"I do know."

"You don't." He slid his hands into his sweatpants pockets while still looking down. "If you actually did, you would have known I lied. I thought you figured out I did already since you figured out so much other shit. And....you know....since you would actually touch me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I lied, Wynter. I didn't actually kill your uncle, I was bluffing when I told you I did just to scare you. I wanted to have proof before I told you so you'd believe me." Grimmjow gestured to the phone with his head. "And, uh, since you didn't actually figure it out, whoever told you about it lied to you, too."

Stepping over to the island, I picked up the phone, and the screen lit up to show a webpage. There was a photo of Uncle Jordan that I immediately recognized from our fishing trip a few years ago. He was smiling while holding a fishing pole. Glancing over the text beside the photo, I saw this was actually an obituary.

Leaning onto the island, I looked at Grimmjow with furrowed brows.

"How is this supposed to prove you didn't kill my uncle?"

"Read it. It mentions how he died." The demon shifted on his feet, and my gaze dropped back to my phone. Scrolling through it, I read it all to find what he was talking about.

"Says he was mauled by a cougar." I stated, and Grimmjow finally looked at me again. Those oddly human eyes locked onto mine, and then it clicked. "He was mauled. ....But you couldn't...."

"I don't know what you were told, but even if the fact of him being mauled had been mentioned to you, you would have known from the get-go I didn't do it. And we both know it wasn't actually a cougar."

"I was told he got into an accident trying to use his chainsaw." Slowly setting down the phone, I clenched my jaw. "Did you have _anything_ to do with this?"

"I couldn't, even though I wanted to."

"What do you mean by 'couldn't'?"

"I was sealed."

"Your projection-"

"I actually couldn't at the time. Don't you ever wonder why I didn't show up as soon as you moved in? It's 'cause I literally _couldn't_. With my power sealed, I had to wait to build the energy to be able to create a projection. Trust me, if I could have, I would've been after you as soon as you stepped through the door."

"So you don't even know what demon did it?"

"Not a clue."

"But you told me his soul passed on."

"It might have. I don't know."

"How many times have you lied to me about shit like this?"

"Only when it came to your uncle."

"Why? Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Like I said, I thought you figured it out already. I...." Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair before rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't like you feeling that way over something I didn't even do. I know I'm an asshole, but I don't want you holding something against me that I _didn't_ actually do."

"This is all so fucking stupid." I held my face in my hands while now desiring to just lay down and sleep away the thoughts I was having. A hand gently rested on my shoulder, and I paused. "....Are you trying to _comfort_ me?"

"N.... Yes."


End file.
